Unilever to trial 4-day working week with NZ-based staff

Global consumer goods company Unilever will use its New Zealand staff to trial a four-day working week, at full pay.

The trial is open to all 81 staff and if successful, could have implications for the company’s 150,000 employees around the world.

Unilever New Zealand managing director Nick Bangs said the goal is to measure performance on output, rather than time.

“Unilever New Zealand’s strong growth trajectory as a business makes this the perfect time in our life cycle to drive something new and ambitious.

“Maintaining competitive edge, increasing productivity and improving well-being sit at the heart of the four-day work week,” Bangs said.

The company said momentum for a four day week was growing in the wake of the Covid-19 upheaval of standard working practices.

It will train some staff in a new project management method which breaks work into short phases with frequent reassessment.

Bangs said Unilever would work with the University of Technology Business School in Sydney to measure results of the trial.

“We trust our employees to do the best for the company and will give them the support and resources to innovate and make their own decisions.”

The trial will run until December next year.

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