New move that could be a 'death blow' to Aussie businesses

The Australian Council of Trade Unions (ACTU) is calling for Australia to adopt a four-day activity week successful consequence to Australians continuing to activity record-long hours.

Research has shown that workers' productivity has slowed down post-pandemic and wage maturation has stagnated, leaving galore labor burnt retired and struggling.

The solution, according to nan ACTU, is moving shorter hours astatine nan aforesaid pay.

Next week, nan highest national assemblage will reason for shorter moving hours and nan implementation of a four-day activity week crossed Australia astatine nan Economic Reform Roundtable successful Canberra.

It's a plan ACTU President Michele O'Neil says would use some workers and businesses.

"People want to beryllium capable to person a life arsenic good arsenic beryllium capable to work, and they don't want to unrecorded to work," she told 9news.com.au.

"We don't want to spot improvements conscionable spell to profits, conscionable spell to shareholders aliases executive bonuses."

The ACTU has projected businesses present a four-day week wherever imaginable and, wherever that exemplary isn't appropriate, instrumentality much rostered days off, accrued yearly leave, and redesigned rosters that prioritise employees' work-life balance.

Research from Australia and overseas suggests this scheme would boost performance, trim burnout and amended worker wellness and retention crossed nan country.

It could besides thief shorten nan spread betwixt productivity maturation and costs maturation successful Australia.

Analysis from nan Centre for Future Work revealed that if existent wages had grown astatine nan aforesaid complaint arsenic productivity since 2000, Aussies would beryllium making astir $350 much per week successful 2025.

"Wages improving is critically important for surviving standards, but workers having much clip to unrecorded is besides important," O'Neil said.

A reduced activity week would besides use businesses.

"If we've sewage a amended equilibrium betwixt our activity life and our location life, past erstwhile we travel to work, we're much effective, we're much capable to focus, we're much capable to get nan occupation done," O'Neil said.

"All of these things are benefits for employers, and this is not conscionable unions and nan ACTU saying this."

One 2023 study of 10 Australian companies trialling nan four-day week revealed that 70 per cent reported higher productivity.

The different 30 per cent reported productivity levels were nan aforesaid arsenic pre-trial.

The ACTU argues that businesses crossed nan state could spot akin productivity boosts if only they would put successful capital, investigation and – astir importantly – people.

But immoderate sectors disagree.

The Australian Restaurant and Cafe Association (ARCA) said a four-day activity week would slash productivity and return a toll connected hospitality businesses, particularly successful CBD.

"We can't cram work into less days," ARCA CEO Wes Lambert said successful a property release.

He said "a broad four-day rule" would beryllium "a decease rustle for CBD cafés already struggling" arsenic 1 successful 10 presently look closure.

But ACTU isn't suggesting a broad norm crossed each sectors and industries.

Rather, O'Neil is calling for Australian businesses to consider really shorter moving hours for nan aforesaid salary could beryllium sustainably implemented astatine an manufacture and individual level.

"We want to spot this alteration hap successful a accelerated way, but besides a adjacent way."

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