250 workers of Australia’s Medibank will participate in a six-month trial initiative establishing a four-day workweek. The “The Gift” programme uses the 100:80:100 model, which guarantees that workers receive their full salary while putting in 80% of their typical hours and expecting them to be 100% productive.
The increasing demand for flexible work arrangements has led to this decision being made. This is due to the pandemic’s significant effects on Australian workplaces. Companies such as Unilever has been tested this four-day workweek.
It resulted with optimistic results including increased productivity, decreased absenteeism, and lower employee turnover.
The Australian health insurance sees this project as a critical step towards modernising established working procedures and boosting efficiency. Kylie Bishop, Group Lead for People, Spaces and Sustainability at Medibank, said, “We’re really wanting to bring the future of work into the now of work.”
“For more than 18 months, we’ve been looking for methods to improve our productivity and flexibility. The health and welfare of our employees are also a priority.
According to her, “Our hypothesis is that by creating the opportunity for even greater flexibility, our workers and teams are able to adjust their way of working in order to improve the value of their results and reduce unproductive time.”
Bishop emphasised that the four-day workweek is not about shortening work hours but rather about eliminating inefficiencies and rethinking time-consuming tasks that add little value.
“As a consequence, employee retention and absenteeism will both decrease, and our workers will be happier and healthier. That, in our opinion, is worthwhile to attempt and study.
