Unilever to trial four-day working week in New Zealand
Supporters of a four-day working week were given a major boost today as Unilever said it will trial the system in its New Zealand operations.
The consumer goods giant said its 81 employees in New Zealand will retain their full pay while working just 80 per cent of normal hours.
The trial will run until December 2021, after which Unilever will consider whether to adapt its working habits on a wider scale.
Nick Bangs, managing director of Unilever New Zealand, said the move reflected growing momentum for a four-day week after the pandemic overhauled working practices.
“This is an exciting moment for our team and a validation of the catalytic role Covid-19 has played in shaking up standard working practices,” he said.
“Unilever NZ’s strong growth trajectory as a business makes this the perfect time in our life cycle to drive something new and ambitious. Maintaining competitive edge, increasing productivity and improving wellbeing sit at the heart of the 4-day work week.”
Unilever, which owns brands including Dove, Lipton and Ben & Jerry’s, said it will train its staff in Agile — a project management method that breaks work into short phases — in a bid to help the transition to a four-day week.
It will also work with the University of Technology business school in Sydney to measure qualitative results of the trial.
“Gaining flexibility in work/life balance can mean that women and men, younger and older, can both take time off to be with family and friends, and have the energy and focus to pursue their career ambitions,” said Bangs.
“Essentially, this is about a holistic understanding of how work and life fit together, and improving mental and physical wellbeing.”
The Kiwi boss said Unilever will share the results of its trial with other businesses in the country, with the aim of influencing wider working habits.
Unilever recently merged its Dutch and British corporate arms into one entity based in London. The group employs roughly 155,000 people worldwide.