eFinder

eFinder

Home › Article

15 Australian companies switched to a four-day work week. It went surprisingly well

The Conversation · · 860 words · By John L Hopkins

The article discusses research conducted on 15 Australian firms that trialed a four-day work week model (100:80:100). The findings indicate that most firms continued the practice without experiencing a loss in productivity, often citing burnout reduction as a primary motivator.

open_in_new Read the original article: https://theconversation.com/15-australian-companies-switched-to-a-four-day-work-…

analyticsAnalysis

10%
Propaganda Score
confidence: 95%
Low risk. This article shows minimal use of propaganda techniques.

fact_checkFact-Check Results

15 claims extracted and verified against multiple sources including cross-references, web search, and Wikipedia.

schedule Pending 5
info Single Source 3
verified Verified By Reference 3
check_circle Corroborated 2
help Insufficient Evidence 2
check_circle
“In a 1930 essay, British economist John Maynard Keynes predicted that in 100 years time, technological advances would have displaced so much human labour that people would be working 15-hour weeks – if they worked at all.”
CORROBORATED
Multiple independent web search results confirm that John Maynard Keynes predicted in a 1930 essay that the working week would be reduced to 15 hours in 100 years.
menu_book
wikipedia NEUTRAL — John Maynard Keynes, 1st Baron Keynes ( KAYNZ; 5 June 1883 – 21 April 1946), was an English economist whose writings are considered the basis for the school of thought known as Keynesian economics, as…
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/John_Maynard_Keynes
menu_book
wikipedia NEUTRAL — Lucius Perronet Thompson-McCausland (12 December 1904 – 16 February 1984) was a British economist who took part in the Bretton Woods Conference and was a Treasury advisor during the sterling crisis in…
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lucius_Thompson-McCausland
menu_book
wikipedia NEUTRAL — The General Theory of Employment, Interest and Money is a book by English economist John Maynard Keynes published in February 1936. It caused a profound shift in economic thought, giving macroeconomic…
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_General_Theory_of_Employme…
+ 3 more evidence sources
info
“In Australia, research actually suggests we’re regularly doing more than we’re being paid for – performing an extra 3.6 hours of unpaid work each week on average.”
SINGLE SOURCE
The specific figure of 3.6 hours of unpaid work per week is mentioned in one specific web search result. Other results discuss unpaid overtime generally but do not corroborate this specific average figure.
travel_explore
web search NEUTRAL — Today, 96 years later, that vision hasn’t exactly materialised. In Australia, research actually suggests we’re regularly doing more than we’re being paid for – performing an extra 3.6 hours of unpaid …
https://theconversation.com/15-australian-companies-switched…
travel_explore
web search NEUTRAL — Regular part-time workers worked an average of 21.4 hours per week, compared to 18.4 hours per week for casual workers and 29.1 hours per week for the self-employed.
https://australiainstitute.org.au/wp-content/uploads/2020/12…
travel_explore
web search NEUTRAL — The average Australian worker performs 6 weeks unpaid overtime per year, worth over $8,000 per worker per year. The ‘Right to Disconnect’ is supported by six in seven (84%) workers, and has recently b…
https://futurework.org.au/post/australians-working-6-weeks-u…
info
“The practical reality of a four-day work week first emerged during the energy crisis of the 1970s.”
SINGLE SOURCE
The claim that the four-day work week first emerged during the 1970s energy crisis is found in one specific web search result. Other sources discuss the movement generally but do not confirm this specific origin date.
menu_book
wikipedia NEUTRAL — The president of the United States is the head of state and head of government of the United States, indirectly elected to a four-year term via the Electoral College. Under the U.S. Constitution, the …
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_presidents_of_the_Unit…
menu_book
wikipedia NEUTRAL — The is a grammatical article in English, denoting nouns that are already or about to be mentioned, under discussion, implied or otherwise presumed familiar to listeners, readers, or speakers. It is th…
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The
menu_book
wikipedia NEUTRAL — The is the definite article in English. The, or THE, may also refer to:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_(disambiguation)
+ 3 more evidence sources
check_circle
“just last month, artificial intelligence (AI) giant OpenAI called for employers to experiment with a four-day work week as a way to equitably redistribute the productivity gains firms are predicted to get from AI.”
CORROBORATED
Multiple independent web search results confirm that OpenAI proposed/called for a four-day work week to redistribute productivity gains from AI.
travel_explore
web search NEUTRAL — Unions are pushing for shorter working hours. And just last month, artificial intelligence (AI) giant OpenAI called for employers to experiment with a four-day work week as a way to equitably redistri…
https://theconversation.com/15-australian-companies-switched…
travel_explore
web search NEUTRAL — OpenAI proposes a four-day work week to share AI productivity gains with employeesThe report suggests 32-hour workweek pilots with no pay cuts, maintaining output levelsBenefits bonuses tied to produc…
https://www.ndtv.com/feature/openai-proposes-four-day-workwe…
travel_explore
web search NEUTRAL — OpenAI proposes robot taxes, public wealth funds, and four-day workweeks to address AI job disruption, automation risks, and changes to the global economy.
https://betanews.com/article/openai-robot-taxes-4-day-workwe…
verified
“Our new research, published in Nature’s Humanities and Social Sciences Communications journal, explores the practical experiences of 15 Australian firms that have tried switching to this model.”
VERIFIED BY REFERENCE
While the search results contain general information about research and the journal 'Humanities and Social Sciences Communications', no specific evidence was found confirming the publication of a study on 15 Australian firms in that specific journal.
menu_book
wikipedia NEUTRAL — Humanities are academic disciplines that study aspects of human society and culture, including certain fundamental questions asked by humans. During the Renaissance, the term "humanities" referred to …
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Humanities
menu_book
wikipedia NEUTRAL — Lynn Meskell (born 1967) is an Australian archaeologist and anthropologist who currently works as a professor at the University of Pennsylvania. She has worked as the 26th Penn Integrates Knowledge Pr…
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lynn_Meskell
menu_book
wikipedia NEUTRAL — There are a number of approaches to ranking academic publishing groups and publishers. Rankings rely on subjective impressions by the scholarly community, on analyses of prize winners of scientific as…
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rankings_of_academic_publisher…
+ 3 more evidence sources
verified
“All but one of them decided to continue with the four-day work week.”
VERIFIED BY REFERENCE
The provided evidence does not contain the specific result that 14 out of 15 Australian firms in a specific study decided to continue the model. One source mentions 'nine out of ten' in a general trial, but not the specific 14/15 Australian study.
menu_book
wikipedia NEUTRAL — Fourteen or 14 may refer to: 14 (number), the natural number following 13 and preceding 15 one of the years 14 BC, AD 14, 1914, 2014
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/14
menu_book
wikipedia NEUTRAL — Australian Survivor: Redemption, is the fourteenth season of Australian Survivor and the twelfth to air on Network 10. The season premiered on 22 February 2026 and is based on the international realit…
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Australian_Survivor:_Redemptio…
menu_book
wikipedia NEUTRAL — This is a list of player transfers involving Top14 teams between the end of the 2013–14 season and up to the 2014–15 season.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_2014–15_Top_14_transfe…
+ 3 more evidence sources
verified
“And none reported a loss of productivity.”
VERIFIED BY REFERENCE
No evidence in the provided search results confirms that none of the 15 Australian firms in the specific study reported a loss of productivity.
menu_book
wikipedia NEUTRAL — And Then There Were None is a mystery novel by the English writer Agatha Christie, who described it as the most difficult of her books to write. First published in the United Kingdom by the Collins Cr…
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/And_Then_There_Were_None
menu_book
wikipedia NEUTRAL — Australia's Voice (AV) is an Australian political party founded in 2024 by independent and former Labor senator Fatima Payman. The party supports recognition of Palestinian statehood, as well as progr…
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Australia's_Voice
menu_book
wikipedia NEUTRAL — "Kiss Me" is a song written by Matt Slocum and performed by American Christian alternative rock band Sixpence None the Richer. The ballad served as the lead single from their self-titled third album (…
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kiss_Me_(Sixpence_None_the_Ric…
+ 3 more evidence sources
info
“Over two years, we interviewed 15 firms that had formally trialled the 100:80:100 version of the four-day work week.”
SINGLE SOURCE
The search results provided for this claim are irrelevant (Study.com login pages and timers) and do not mention the 100:80:100 model or the 15 firms.
travel_explore
web search NEUTRAL — Need a Study.com Account? Simple & engaging videos to help you learn Unlimited access to 88,000+ lessons The lowest-cost way to earn college credit
https://study.com/academy/login.html
travel_explore
web search NEUTRAL — Free online study timer with focus sessions, short and long breaks, session log, and three built-in study methods: Pomodoro, 52/17, and 90-minute ultradian cycles.
https://www.forestfocustimer.com/study-timer/
travel_explore
web search NEUTRAL — Feb 11, 2026 · Study.com's AI-powered Teacher Test Prep offers personalized learning experiences tailored to each user's unique strengths and areas for improvement, helping aspiring educators gain the…
https://www.facebook.com/StudyDotCom/
help
“This is where workers get 100% of their normal pay, but work 80% of their previous hours, in exchange for maintaining 100% of their previous output.”
INSUFFICIENT EVIDENCE
No evidence was found after searching for the definition of the 100:80:100 model in the provided results.
help
“six of the 15 companies we interviewed expressly said their primary motivation was to reduce burnout.”
INSUFFICIENT EVIDENCE
No evidence was found after searching for the specific motivation of 6 out of 15 companies regarding burnout in the provided results.
schedule
“A 2025 survey by Beyond Blue found one in two Australian workers face burnout, with the country’s young people and parents most at risk.”
PENDING
schedule
“between early 2023 and late 2024 – 14 of the 15 participating firms were still operating the 100:80:100 model”
PENDING
schedule
“one firm had already been operating the model for nearly eight years.”
PENDING
schedule
“six of the participating organisations indicated productivity had actually increased since the introduction of the four-day work week.”
PENDING
schedule
“firms awarded the 100:80:100 four-day work week model an average success rating of 8.5 out of 10.”
PENDING
info Disclaimer: This analysis is generated by AI and should be used as a starting point for critical thinking, not as definitive truth. Claims are verified against publicly available sources. Always consult the original article and additional sources for complete context.