Council to Try Four-Day Work Week

It is from ABC Riverina.

The topic is work.

The article was published on Monday, 3 August 2026, at 6:34 am.

Murrumbidgee Council will start a four-day work week next year.

In short, the council will work four days a week.

The Murrumbidgee Council in New South Wales will try a four-day work week for most staff starting in January.

This is the first time a local council in Australia has done this.

The council will now make a plan for the four-day work week.

The council will decide how to measure the success of the four-day work week.

Staff will get 52 long weekends next year when the four-day work week starts.

Murrumbidgee Council will be the first local government to try a four-day work week to increase productivity and attract staff.

The council's general manager, John Scarce, said the agreement will last 15 months.

The council wants to attract staff, and a four-day work week could help.

The four-day work week will keep a 38-hour week, but it will be compressed into four days.

Most services will be closed on Fridays, but some will still be open.

John Scarce thinks a four-day work week could help the council attract and keep staff.

The trial will start in January.

The council has already collected data that suggests the four-day work week will be successful.

The council can do more work in four days than in five days because they save time on travel.

The council had staff and community consultations, and most staff liked the idea of a four-day work week.

The council will make a plan for the four-day work week over the next six months.

The community has different opinions about the four-day work week.

A resident, Michael Painting, is not sure about the four-day work week, especially in winter.

Michael Painting thinks the council might not have thought of everything.

He is not sure how the council can increase productivity with less daylight.

A former council employee, Alan Surl, thinks the four-day work week could work, but the council must make sure it helps the community.

Alan Surl said that if the day is longer, people can be more active and get more done.

A business owner, Jody Heath, supports the four-day work week because it has worked for his business.

Jody Heath cut his shop's working days from five and a half to four, and it has been successful.

Jody Heath said that having one day off a week makes his business more productive.

He said that with the five and a half days, they never had time for themselves, but with four days, they have more time.

Other businesses in the region have also started four-day work weeks.

The union supports the four-day work week.

The United Services Union has been talking to the council about the proposal.

The union's industrial officer, Stuart Geddes, said this is the first council to try a four-day work week.

Stuart Geddes said that other countries have successfully implemented four-day work weeks.

He said that countries that tried a four-day work week saw an increase in productivity.

John Scarce thinks the four-day work week will be good for staff and will help attract new staff.

He thinks the staff will easily adjust to the new schedule.

See more ABC coverage.

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