New Zealand

4-Day Work Week in New Zealand – Companies, Trials & Work Culture
8.2
OECD Score

Excellent Work-Life Balance

New Zealand ranks highly on the OECD Better Life Index (0–10 scale), reflecting strong cultural values around leisure time, family, and flexibility at work.

34.1hAvg hours/week
35%Remote work rate
20 daysMin. paid leave
Private-ledGovernment position
Overview

The 4-Day Work Week Movement in New Zealand

New Zealand didn't just experiment with the four-day week — it catalysed an entire global movement. The country's trials produced some of the most compelling evidence that working less can achieve more.

📈 Business Outcomes

  • Trial rated 8.2/10 by all stakeholders
  • 100% of business targets met during the trial
  • Revenue goals achieved on time
  • No additional pay or benefit costs required

🧠 Employee Productivity

  • Worked 20% fewer hours but achieved better results
  • 38% of employees reported feeling less stressed
  • Burnout decreased by two-thirds during the trial
  • Workers exercised more and slept better

💼 Retention & Engagement

  • Absenteeism declined by 44%
  • Resignations dropped by 9%
  • 1 in 10 employees wouldn't return to 5 days for any pay increase
  • 1 in 3 demanded 26–50% more pay to revert

🌏 Societal Impact

  • Men spent more time with family, improving gender balance
  • Weekly commuting time reduced by 36 minutes per person
  • Improved community participation and mental health
  • Greater childcare contribution from male employees
Trials & Pilots

Landmark 4-Day Week Trials in NZ

Two pivotal trials shaped how the world thinks about the four-day work week — both originating in New Zealand.

Perpetual Guardian Trial
March – April 2018 · 240 employees · Trust management
Completed · Pioneering
+20%Productivity
−7ppStress
+40%Engagement
An 8-week pilot at New Zealand's largest trustee company. Work-life balance scores jumped from 54% to 78% — a 24-point gain. Highly stressed employees fell from 45% to 38%. The trial was so successful it led directly to the founding of 4 Day Week Global, the organisation now running pilots in over 20 countries. View case study →
Unilever New Zealand Trial
December 2020 – December 2021 · 81 employees · FMCG
Completed · Extended to Australia
−33%Stress
+67%Work-Life Balance
0%Output Loss
An 18-month pilot where 81 employees worked 80% of the time at 100% pay, with 100% of business targets to be met. Every KPI was hit or exceeded. Absenteeism dropped 34%, individual wellbeing improved 33%, and vigor at work rose 15%. Results were strong enough for Unilever to expand the programme to Australia. View trial report →
Wider Impact

Gender Equality & Environmental Benefits

The four-day work week had positive ripple effects beyond the office walls.

⚖️

Gender Equality

With an extra day off each week, male employees took on significantly more family and caregiving responsibilities — contributing to a more balanced division of domestic labour across households.

🌿

Environmental Impact

−36 min

Each worker's weekly commuting time dropped by 36 minutes. Fewer commutes translates directly into lower carbon emissions and reduced traffic congestion across New Zealand's cities.

Work Culture

Working in New Zealand

Understanding the broader work culture context that makes New Zealand fertile ground for flexible work arrangements.

⏰

Standard Working Hours

Full-time workers in New Zealand have a legal maximum of 40 hours per week. Standard hours run Monday–Friday, 8:30am–5pm with a half-hour break. The OECD reports an actual average of 34.1 hours/week.

🏖️

Vacation Policy

All employees are legally entitled to at least 4 weeks (20 days) of paid annual leave. Holidays can be taken when due, and one week can be converted to a cash payout on request.

💻

Remote Working

New Zealand is supportive of remote work. Any employee may submit a written request for remote arrangements — regardless of tenure — and employers must respond within 30 days.

🕐

Part-Time Work

Part-time employment is growing rapidly in NZ, with over 577,000 part-time workers. Around 51% of the female workforce works part-time, reflecting both personal choice and caregiving demands.

📊

Work-Life Balance Index

New Zealand scores 8.2 out of 10 on the OECD Better Life Index for work-life balance — placing it among the world's top-performing nations for employee wellbeing.

🌐

Flexible Work Culture

Post-COVID, over 75% of NZ employees prefer roles offering flexible hours or remote options. This cultural shift has accelerated employer adoption of compressed and reduced-hour schedules.

Government Position

Policy & Legislation

Where does the New Zealand government stand on the four-day work week?

🏛️

Private-Sector Driven — No Legislative Change Planned

Both major political parties in New Zealand have stated that no legislative change is required to mandate a shorter working week. The government's position is that workplace flexibility should be negotiated between employers and employees. All progress to date has been entirely private-sector driven — notably the landmark Unilever NZ pilot which became a permanent policy — making New Zealand one of the most interesting case studies for voluntary adoption globally.

Companies

NZ Companies Offering 4-Day Work Weeks

These New Zealand-based companies have publicly committed to reduced or compressed work schedules.

Perpetual Guardian
NZ's largest trustee organisation. The company that started it all — pioneering the 4-day week in 2018.
4-Day Week32h/weekHybrid
Auror
Retail crime prevention platform focused on loss reduction and store safety.
Half Day Fridays36h/weekHybrid
CloudCannon
World-leading CMS platform for static websites, with a fully flexible 4-day working week.
4-Day Week32h/weekHybrid
HealthPost
B Corp certified natural wellness retailer with 6,000+ products and strong people values.
4-Day (80%)32h/weekHybrid
Brevity
Boutique Australasian engineering consultancy running a measured 100/80/100 four-day week since the 2022 global pilot.
4-Day Week32h/weekHybrid
CONQA
Construction field management platform empowering site teams with digital quality tools.
4-Day Week32h/weekHybrid
Netsafe NZ
New Zealand's independent online safety organisation, providing advice and support for internet safety.
4-Day Week32h/weekHybrid
Runn
Resource management platform for agencies and professional services teams. Remote-first with full flexibility.
Flexible HoursFully Remote
FAQ

Frequently Asked Questions

Common questions about the four-day work week in New Zealand.

New Zealand does not have a government-mandated 4-day work week, but it is a global pioneer in voluntary trials. The landmark Perpetual Guardian trial in 2018 led to the founding of 4 Day Week Global, and Unilever New Zealand ran an 18-month pilot with 81 employees that met all business targets while reducing stress by 33%.
The legal maximum for full-time work is 40 hours per week, typically Monday to Friday, 8:30am–5pm. However, the OECD reports that New Zealand workers actually average 34.1 hours per week — well below the legal cap.
All employees in New Zealand are legally entitled to at least 4 weeks (20 days) of paid annual holidays, regardless of whether they work full or part time. Workers can also convert one week of leave to a cash payout upon written request.
The 2018 Perpetual Guardian 8-week trial with 240 employees showed a 20% productivity increase, a drop in highly-stressed employees from 45% to 38%, work-life balance scores rising from 54% to 78%, and team engagement jumping 40%. The CEO went on to found 4 Day Week Global as a direct result.
Yes. Any New Zealand employee can submit a written request for remote work at any point during their employment, without needing to give a specific reason. Employers have 30 days to respond, and must provide a valid reason for any refusal.
Sources

Data & References

Statistics and trial data sourced from 2023 OECD records, updated January 2026.

OECD Statistics (stats.oecd.org) Unilever NZ Trial Report (2022) 4 Day Week Global — Perpetual Guardian Case Study Trading Economics — NZ Part-Time Employment Data World Bank — NZ Female Labour Force Participation MacIT Remote Working Statistics NZ

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