For decades, workers have been advocating for fewer hours at the same pay.
The cries fell on deaf eyes until almost 10 years ago, when an Icelandic experiment saw more than 2,500 workers move from a 40-hour work week to a 35- to 36-hour work week.
The result? Productivity either stayed the same or actually improved. This kicked off trials in other countries, including Spain and New Zealand.
Soon after, in 2019, Melbourne digital agency Versa trialled a year long 'no-work Wednesday', which saw an increase in staff retention and satisfaction. The CEO even told the ABC that the agency was three times more profitable that year.
Things were looking good.
Then came the COVID-19 pandemic.
Watch: Treasurer Josh Frydenberg on women in the workforce. Post continues after video.
With nationwide lockdowns changing the way many of us worked, it became even clearer that productivity could be achieved while working from home. As a result, flexibility around working arrangements started to be mapped out across the country.
It was at this time that Mamamia's Gemma Bath spoke to organisational psychologist Doctor Amantha Imber for The Quicky podcast.
Imber, who is the founder of the behavioural science consultancy Inventium, and the host of the hugely successful business podcast How I Work, has spoken extensively about the benefits of the four-day work week, which has been implemented at her firm.
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