Advocates have welcomed the results of a four-day work week trial. 

Twenty companies across Australia and New Zealand began trialling four-day work weeks in early August, facilitated by advocacy group 4 Day Week. 

4 Day Week Global managing director and founder Charlotte Lockhart says that so far, stakeholders in Australia’s trial have been reporting promising results.

“We’re getting really good feedback from them,” she told reporters.

“The interesting thing with the conversations we’re having at company and government level is the companies that have joined that ended up choosing to reduce their workweeks permanently.”

Ms Lockhart said a second wave of pilot programs will be launching in February.

“These trials are an ongoing piece of research that we keep adding to,” she said.

“From a government perspective, we’re looking to effect long-term change and legislative change.

“The solutions we’re looking for also are around how do we help companies that feel that it will be a challenge for them to reduce work time - that’s an important part of the conversation we’re having.”

The trial results reportedly show that four-day work weeks positively impact on productivity in the micro economy.

“As we add all that global data in February, with the UK trial wrapping up, then the economists will be able to jump out further to the conversation around what is the macro benefit to the economy,” Ms Lockhart said.

Data from Australia’s results is expected to be released sometime in March.

Similar trials internationally show that after six months, most of the 33 companies and 903 workers trialling the schedule, with no reduction in pay, are unlikely ever to go back to a standard working week, according to the organisers of the global pilot program.

None of the 27 participating companies who responded to a survey by 4 Day Week Global said they were leaning towards or planning on returning to their former five-day routine.

About 97 per cent of the 495 employees who responded said they wanted to continue with a four-day week.

Workers were equally positive about the trial, reporting lower levels of stress, fatigue, insomnia and burnout, and improvements in physical and mental health.

The trial was also good for company earnings.

Average revenue rose 38 per cent when compared to the same period last year, according to the survey.