Victorian state election 2018: Reason Party’s plan to trial a four-day work week in Victoria

WOULD you like to work a four-day week? Some state government bureaucrats would get the chance to try it out under a radical plan by the Reason Party.

THE work week would be cut to four days for some state government bureaucrats, under a radical plan by the Reason Party.

Leader Fiona Patten will today call for a year-long trial of a four-day working week in a bid to boost staff happiness and lessen work strain.

“It is an idea that has been trialled overseas with resounding success and should be tested here,” Ms Patten said.

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Under the Reason Party plan, the four-day work week would be trialled in one government department for 12 months.

Employees would maintain 95 per cent of their full-time salary and sacrifice some leave in exchange for working one less day a week.

Through rostering, the department would still operate Monday-Friday.

Reason Party leader Fiona Patten will announce the policy today. Picture: Jake Nowakowski

It comes after a trial by New Zealand company Perpetual Guardian recorded a 7 per cent drop in stress levels.

Another study by the Workforce Institute at Kronos found almost half of Australians were in favour of a four-day work week.

“With no loss of productivity and the advantages of improved employee satisfaction, less time lost to sick leave and better work life balance, this can be a real win-win,” Ms Patten said.

Ms Patten said, if the trial was successful, the initiative could be expanded to the private sector.

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