Jacinda Ardern 'encourages' employers to think about four-day week

Thursday, 21 May 2020

Jacinda Ardern visited tourism operators in Rotorua.

Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern has encouraged people to think about whether a four-day work week could fit their workplaces.

Ardern spoke in a Facebook live video on a visit to Rotorua, which she said was the first place outside Wellington she had visited since New Zealand came out of lockdown.

The tourism industry was working hard to focus on renewing its offers for the domestic market, she said, and the Government was also working towards a trans-Tasman bubble with Australia.

But she said other ideas were being “bounced around” that could have merit to get New Zealanders travelling around the country.

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That included more public holidays – an idea that has been rejected by Deputy Prime Minister Winston Peters – and a four-day working week.

She said people had reported that they would travel around New Zealand more if they had the flexibility of leave to do so.

“Ultimately that really sits between employers and employees. But as I’ve said there’s just so much we’ve learnt about Covid and that flexibility of people working from home, the productivity that can be driven out of that,”she said.

“I’d really encourage people to think about that if you’re an employer and in a position to do so. To think about if that’s something that would work for your workplace because it certainly would help tourism all around the country.”

The four-day week has been promoted in New Zealand by Perpetual Guardian, which found that it boosted productivity among its staff by 20 per cent.

In January, Workplace Relations Minister Iain Lees-Galloway said the Government supported workers and businesses working together to make their workplaces more flexible.

“A four-day working week is part of this. This is possible right now and, as you know, many businesses are already doing it and many find it makes for a productive and happy workplace.'