y would continue to trial the concept, while the 5 remaining intend to  make it a permanent change.  Almost half said productivity improved, and 71 per cent of employees reported lower levels of stress. In another study, nearly 3,000 workers in Iceland trialled a 4-day work week between 2015 and 2019, with over 80 per cent of the country’s workforce either moving  to a four-day system, or planning to do so in the near future.  And though some firms in Australia have taken the idea on board, Bunnings signalled earlier this week that it would explore the concept across its homewares business, following a newly bargained enterprise agreement. It is  the first retailer in Australia to trial such an initiative. The business confirmed that it is looking to trial either a 9-day fortnight or four working -days per week model, with the aim of understanding how each model works in practice, and exploring what benefits they provide to the team before moving forward with a permanent change.  “Our team is our most important asset, and we work incredibly hard to ensure we’re always providing an environment that makes them feel rewarded and valued,” Bunnings’ chief people officer Damian Zahra said.  “We have a track record of providing industry-leading pay, benefits and bonuses, and our aim is to provide a new EA that continues to reward our team for the great work they do every day.” Conditions apply Bunnings’ offer could come with conditions, however. Team members could be expected to work their same rostered hours over fewer days, rather than actually cutting back on time worked – something that could be tied to an agreement to work a given number of weekend shifts.  According to Dr Amantha Imber, founder of behavioural science consultancy Inventium, this potential change isn’t necessarily true to the original 4-day work week concept, where  staff work one fewer day a week for the same pay.  “It’s more of a compressed work week, where staff will be working longer days,” Imber told Inside Retail.  “And [to staff], that just doesn’t look as good. It’s great to have that flexibility, but Bunnings staff shouldn’t be under the illusion that they will reap the full benefits of the traditional four-day work week concept.” Imber warned that Bunnings’ approach may negate any benefit from an extra day off, as staff will be working longer hours each day.  The business’ trial is expected to last the duration of its 3-year enterprise agreement.  How to save time Unlike many Australian business leaders, Imber has quite a bit of experience with the benefits and pitfalls of the 4-day work week, having instituted the concept at Inventium in July 2020.  Originally, the business was utilising an unlimited annual leave option to drive better employee wellness, but found that it wasn’t having a significant impact on its staff’s well being. Inventium cut the unlimited annual leave option, began a 4-day work week trial in 2020, and has operated under this model for the past three years.  And the results, Imber said, speak for themselves.  “Our productivity has continued to be elevated. We reviewed the initiative about six months ago and all of the increases have continued,” Imber said.  “And it’s not like we’re all happier but we’ve become less profitable. Financially, it’s continued to benefit us in terms of revenue and profit, despite the fact that we have almost every Friday off.” There were growing pains, of course. Imber found that a business can’t just cut a day of work and expect things to improve – management and staff need time to acclimatise  to a new way of working.  “You have to change the way work gets done. You have to change work culture, and people’s habits, and the norms of an organisation that was previously taking up five days of work, which will now be compacted to four days.” For example, the average office worker spends 21 and a half hours a week in meetings, Imber said – over half of a traditional 40 hour week. Imber noted that meetings tend to be seen as a necessary evil, but they can be reimagined  in ways that don’t take up so much time for staff.  For instance, sharing a pre-recorded video for staff to watch when they have time, or putting a business update in a shareable text document for employees to engage with. “So many meetings are poorly run, and so much time can be saved there,” Imber said.