[Australia] Four-day workweek trial set to begin at Unilever

Following an 18-month pilot in New Zealand, multinational consumer goods company Unilever is extending its four-day workweek trial to its Australian business, Unilever reports.

The decision comes on the heels of encouraging early results from the pilot in New Zealand, in which all 80 team members participated. The vast majority reportedly found it a positive experience but Unilever says there’s still a lot to learn, which is why the trial is now being extended to Australia; a larger and more complex market.

From November 14, 2022, the Australian trial will initially run for 12 months while it is evaluated. Unilever says staff will retain 100 per cent of their salaries while working 80 per cent of the time and delivering 100 per cent of business outcomes; the 100:80:100 principle.

The four-day workweek is just one of the areas Unilever is exploring in its push towards the future of work. As part of social commitments launched in 2021, it committed to providing employees with access to flexible employment options by 2030.

The New Zealand pilot

The initial four-day workweek trial, conducted by Unilever New Zealand, ran from December 2020 to June 2022. Unilever reportedly collaborated with the UTS (University of Technology Sydney) Business School, which monitored and measured the trial through online surveys, business results and in-depth interviews.

Several key benefits were seen. Over two-thirds (67 per cent) of employees reported a better work-life balance and individual wellbeing also improved, with stress dropping 33 per cent. Meanwhile, feelings of strength and vigour at work increased by 15 per cent.

The four-day workweek is an extension of Unilever’s commitment to a performance culture that drives the triple impact of people, planet and profit. 

Cameron Heath - Managing Director, Unilever New Zealand - said, “It’s imperative for us to continue to deliver superior business performance, while also meeting the evolving needs and expectations of our thriving workforce.”

While Professor Bronwen Dalton from UTS highlighted the continuing value of the study. She said, “Unilever ANZ has been a pioneer in helping to create an evidence base that can inform ongoing research into the future of work.”

Australia: a larger business

Conscious that there is still more to learn, Unilever extending the scheme to Australia. Its Australian business is larger and more complex than in New Zealand as a result of its manufacturing facilities.

“The experiment builds on Unilever’s ambition to enhance the wellbeing of both its people and business,” Nicky Sparshott - CEO, Unilever ANZ - said. “Bringing the trial to Australia is an opportunity to explore different ways to unlock more value for the team and the business across both markets.”

How it works

Mirroring the New Zealand trial, Australian employees will reportedly have the flexibility to choose which day or set of hours is most suitable for them to take off, ensuring it also works for the teams they are part of and allows continuity for the business. Plans will be aligned in collaboration with their managers.

The Australian business will take lessons from Unilever’s New Zealand office; using existing technology and new tools to support more efficient work practices. The approach includes less frequent but more efficient meetings, fewer emails and the adoption of technology such as MS Teams.

“By removing project processes and protocols that add less value, throughout our week, we are able to free up time to work on items that matter most to the people we serve, externally and internally,” Ms Sparshott said.

In Australia, the results of the trial will be reviewed at the end of 2023, when the initial trial period ends.

The Future of Work

There are no current plans for other Unilever markets to trial a four-day work week but Unilever says it will continue to use these small trials to experiment and learn about the four-day work week and the potential role it may play in our Future of Work plans.

Placid Jover - Unilever’s Expertise, Innovation and Finance Chief HR Officer - said, “In the world of work, we know flexibility is key to attracting talent and having an engaged workforce. This trial is part of a much bigger commitment to engaging with our people to look at flexibility and new work models, with the aim of evolving, adapting and improving the experience of work.

“It’s important to recognise that for a global company like Unilever, with brands in 190 countries and 148,000 employees working in a mix of office-based, lab-based, production and field-based roles, we won’t necessarily arrive at a ‘one size fits all’ solution,” he added. “Our aim is to be responsive to the changing needs of our current and future workforce – who we know want to work differently – to test and trial solutions and create new ways of working that enable our people and our business to thrive.”

Unilever is reportedly exploring other new ways of working including U-Work, an employment model which gives employees the freedom and flexibility to dip in and out of assignments and have the security of a regular income and benefits, hybrid working arrangements and its in-house flexible working programme known as Flex Experiences. This matches people with project opportunities in other business areas and locations to allow them to experience different roles and build skills, without the need to change their core role.

Source: Unilever

(Quotes via original reporting)

Following an 18-month pilot in New Zealand, multinational consumer goods company Unilever is extending its four-day workweek trial to its Australian business, Unilever reports.

The decision comes on the heels of encouraging early results from the pilot in New Zealand, in which all 80 team members participated. The vast majority reportedly found it a positive experience but Unilever says there’s still a lot to learn, which is why the trial is now being extended to Australia; a larger and more complex market.

From November 14, 2022, the Australian trial will initially run for 12 months while it is evaluated. Unilever says staff will retain 100 per cent of their salaries while working 80 per cent of the time and delivering 100 per cent of business outcomes; the 100:80:100 principle.

The four-day workweek is just one of the areas Unilever is exploring in its push towards the future of work. As part of social commitments launched in 2021, it committed to providing employees with access to flexible employment options by 2030.

The New Zealand pilot

The initial four-day workweek trial, conducted by Unilever New Zealand, ran from December 2020 to June 2022. Unilever reportedly collaborated with the UTS (University of Technology Sydney) Business School, which monitored and measured the trial through online surveys, business results and in-depth interviews.

Several key benefits were seen. Over two-thirds (67 per cent) of employees reported a better work-life balance and individual wellbeing also improved, with stress dropping 33 per cent. Meanwhile, feelings of strength and vigour at work increased by 15 per cent.

The four-day workweek is an extension of Unilever’s commitment to a performance culture that drives the triple impact of people, planet and profit. 

Cameron Heath - Managing Director, Unilever New Zealand - said, “It’s imperative for us to continue to deliver superior business performance, while also meeting the evolving needs and expectations of our thriving workforce.”

While Professor Bronwen Dalton from UTS highlighted the continuing value of the study. She said, “Unilever ANZ has been a pioneer in helping to create an evidence base that can inform ongoing research into the future of work.”

Australia: a larger business

Conscious that there is still more to learn, Unilever extending the scheme to Australia. Its Australian business is larger and more complex than in New Zealand as a result of its manufacturing facilities.

“The experiment builds on Unilever’s ambition to enhance the wellbeing of both its people and business,” Nicky Sparshott - CEO, Unilever ANZ - said. “Bringing the trial to Australia is an opportunity to explore different ways to unlock more value for the team and the business across both markets.”

How it works

Mirroring the New Zealand trial, Australian employees will reportedly have the flexibility to choose which day or set of hours is most suitable for them to take off, ensuring it also works for the teams they are part of and allows continuity for the business. Plans will be aligned in collaboration with their managers.

The Australian business will take lessons from Unilever’s New Zealand office; using existing technology and new tools to support more efficient work practices. The approach includes less frequent but more efficient meetings, fewer emails and the adoption of technology such as MS Teams.

“By removing project processes and protocols that add less value, throughout our week, we are able to free up time to work on items that matter most to the people we serve, externally and internally,” Ms Sparshott said.

In Australia, the results of the trial will be reviewed at the end of 2023, when the initial trial period ends.

The Future of Work

There are no current plans for other Unilever markets to trial a four-day work week but Unilever says it will continue to use these small trials to experiment and learn about the four-day work week and the potential role it may play in our Future of Work plans.

Placid Jover - Unilever’s Expertise, Innovation and Finance Chief HR Officer - said, “In the world of work, we know flexibility is key to attracting talent and having an engaged workforce. This trial is part of a much bigger commitment to engaging with our people to look at flexibility and new work models, with the aim of evolving, adapting and improving the experience of work.

“It’s important to recognise that for a global company like Unilever, with brands in 190 countries and 148,000 employees working in a mix of office-based, lab-based, production and field-based roles, we won’t necessarily arrive at a ‘one size fits all’ solution,” he added. “Our aim is to be responsive to the changing needs of our current and future workforce – who we know want to work differently – to test and trial solutions and create new ways of working that enable our people and our business to thrive.”

Unilever is reportedly exploring other new ways of working including U-Work, an employment model which gives employees the freedom and flexibility to dip in and out of assignments and have the security of a regular income and benefits, hybrid working arrangements and its in-house flexible working programme known as Flex Experiences. This matches people with project opportunities in other business areas and locations to allow them to experience different roles and build skills, without the need to change their core role.

Source: Unilever

(Quotes via original reporting)