Four days, same pay? Members weigh up the four-day work week

Belgium has legislated the right to request a four-day work week, and trials have run in a number of other countries – often condensing the same hours into fewer days. We asked the Café Chat community whether it's a good way forward for Australia, and more than 100 members replied. The result was one of the most divided discussions we've seen, with strong opinions on both sides and a great deal of nuance in between.

Those already doing it are the biggest fans

One of the most striking patterns was that members who already work a four-day week – and there were plenty of them – were almost unanimously positive. Members say they come back refreshed, get more done, and wouldn't go back. Their experience spans warehousing, construction, farming, lawn mowing, mining rosters and office work, which suggests it isn't only a white-collar arrangement.

"Our construction business is doing it now. Currently working Monday to Thursday, still 38 hours per week. We have found our productivity has increased and all the employees are saying they like it. It's great having the extra weekend time and being able to run errands etc on a weekday leaving the weekend completely free."

Others described a similar effect on their own wellbeing, with the extra day off rippling out into healthier habits and a slower pace of life.

"I was so relaxed during the weekend and could actually enjoy it rather than worry about the work week... I also noticed that I was more energetic and efficient at work as well... it gave me the much-needed calm and time to do things at a leisurely pace."

The fifth day is for life admin

Ask supporters what they'd actually do with the extra day, and the answer was rarely "nothing". Members say a weekday off is worth far more than a third weekend day, because it's the only time the post office, the bank, the GP and the tradie are all open. Getting the errands done midweek leaves the weekend genuinely free.

The benefit was felt most keenly by parents. Members say a four-day week would give working mums and dads room to breathe, share the caring load, and spend time with children rather than spending both weekend days catching up on housework. Several described the current two-day weekend as barely enough to cover what needs doing, let alone what you'd actually like to do.

Productivity: the sticking point

Supporters and sceptics alike kept returning to the same question – does the work still get done? Members on the supportive side point to trials showing output holding steady or improving, arguing that a rested worker is a focused one and that the five-day week is simply a habit inherited from another era. Members on the other side counter that Australia's productivity is already a problem and that fewer days risks making it worse. One member summed the whole debate up neatly:

"Four day week, three day week, it really doesn't matter; what matters is productivity... If productivity drops, the model fails. If productivity holds, the model is legitimate. It's that simple."

The compression trap

A recurring warning was that "four-day week" can mean two very different things: a genuine reduction to around 32 hours, or the same 38 to 40 hours squeezed into four longer days. Members say the second version carries real risks – ten-hour days that leave no room for the school run, accumulated fatigue that cancels out the extra day of rest, and longer stretches of physical or screen-based strain without a break.

"If you work 10 or 12 hours a day to have Friday off, the accumulated fatigue can negate the benefit of the extra day of rest. For this to truly be a 'good approach', the focus should be on efficiency and the quality of what is delivered, and not just on shifting hours from one place to another on the calendar."

Others pointed out that workers already stretched thin would simply carry the overflow anyway, working overtime or picking up a second job to make ends meet. A few suggested alternatives that might land better: a nine-day fortnight, a 0.8 full-time arrangement, or rotating rosters rather than a blanket change.

What about small business and shift work?

The strongest objections came on behalf of employers. Members say small businesses are already struggling with costs, staff shortages and red tape, and that mandating a four-day week could tip some over the edge – particularly where the doors have to stay open regardless. Retail, hospitality, healthcare, education, transport and anything operating seven days were all raised as industries where the maths simply doesn't work without hiring more people.

There were practical concerns too: how penalty rates and awards would apply, who decides which days staff take off, and what parents would do with children still at school five days a week. Rostering was the most commonly suggested fix, with some staff taking Mondays and others Fridays so the business stays covered.

"It is okay as an option but not mandated. Too difficult for small business to find staff as it is, it will only make things harder if they have to keep training more people and paying all the extra things on top of wages. Leave it up to the business to introduce not forced."

A number of members also worried about fairness. If the arrangement suits salaried office roles but not frontline and vocational work, they say, it risks creating a two-tier workforce and a good deal of resentment. And not everyone was persuaded on principle – several members felt the push reflects a declining work ethic, while others firmly rejected that characterisation.

Optional, not obligatory

For all the disagreement, one position drew support from members on both sides: make it available, don't make it compulsory. Members say the right approach is case by case, negotiated between employer and employee, with the flexibility to suit the industry and the individual – and trialled properly before anyone commits.

"As long as organisations build teams with slack and contingencies, paying more attention to workload management a 4-day work week could really work for most industries. It takes planning, creativity, and most importantly trust in your workers."

The common thread across more than 100 replies? Almost nobody dismissed the idea of a better work-life balance – the argument is about how you get there without shifting the burden onto small businesses, frontline workers, or the four days that remain.

Where do you land on the four-day week? Have your say in Café Chat.