In recent years the four-day working week has been pitched as an attractive alternative to the classic Monday to Friday.
Endorsed by the likes of Sir Richard Branson, thousands of companies have integrated the model into their workflows.
Now, a group of Kiwis are taking it one step further, launching an international petition to make the four day week a worldwide reality.
Andrew Barnes is the brainchild behind the four-day work week here and his petition 4 Day Week Global.
Perpetual Guardian CEO, Barnes introduced the four-day week for an eight-week trial period back in 2018. He says staff now report being healthier, happier and more engaged as the trial became permanent.
"We sailed through lockdown without almost any trouble at all," he said.
"But the key thing is that their stress levels have dropped, more of them say they can work better working four days rather than five. And best of all, from a business owner, the productivity of the company has actually gone up."
Now Barnes is trying to raise awareness around the world for people to work smarter, shorter —not longer — and the benefits associated with this mode of working.
Barnes said Kickstarter in the US has announced it will join the four-day work trial early next year.
He said the best way for a business considering the idea, is to trial it and to ask staff how they are going to work differently.
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