👉 Background: Bunnings is a household name in Australia - known for their hardware supplies, weekend sausage sizzles and Harry Styles full-rimmed hats. And, don't forget their ads 'interviewing' employees with the little jingle.

👉 What happened: Now, Bunnings has announced that they're planning to make some revolutionary changes for its staff:

• 10.5% pay rise for 40,000 staff over the next three years
• Increase of annual leave to five weeks a year
• Trialling a four-day work week for its full time workers in the stores

👉 What else: Effectively, it would allow staff to work 38 hours over four days, instead of five. And this four-day work week could be a significant breakthrough for the retail sector.

What's the key learning?

💡The traditional work-week could be changing before our very eyes. The four-day work week is an alternative work arrangement that can improve work-life balance and increase employee satisfaction.

💡Microsoft Japan experimented with a 4-day work week, and productivity jumped by 40% thanks to a higher job satisfaction, reduced stress levels, and an improved sense of work-life balance.

💡But implementation can be complex and may require a change in business operations. But now that Bunnings has taken the plunge, it will be interesting to see if other retailers follow suit.

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