NSW Council Staff to Get 52 Long Weekends Annually in Four-Day Trial

Employees at Murrumbidgee Council in south-west New South Wales will experience 52 long weekends a year when the organization trials a four-day work week model starting in January 2027.

The council will be the first local government body in Australia to implement such a model, aiming to boost productivity and attract staff, which is a known challenge in rural areas. Council general manager John Scarce stated the agreement is for 15 months, allowing for a 12-month review to determine its continuation. "As everybody knows, in rural Australia it is hard to attract staff so you always have to have a competitive edge," Scarce said.

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As everybody knows, in rural Australia it is hard to attract staff so you always have to have a competitive edge.

The trial involves compressing the standard 38-hour week into four days for staff at the depot, office, library, and work crews across Darlington Point, Coleambally, and Jerilderie. Most services will be closed on Fridays, though the childcare center and caravan park will remain open, and essential service workers will be on call. Scarce anticipates positive outcomes, citing data from road repair and construction suggesting increased efficiency due to reduced travel time. "In a week, we can grade 6 kilometres [of road]; with this compressed to four days, then we expect that 6 kilometres to be done, but there's also probably going to be another half a kilometre of road done because the lost travel time is work time," he explained.

Consultations revealed that 75 percent of staff favored the compressed week, while nearly 40 percent of community submissions opposed it. Concerns raised by residents like Michael Painting include how the model will function outside daylight-saving time and the impact of shorter daylight hours on extended workdays. Alan Surl, a former employee, sees potential but stresses the need for positive community outcomes and clear logistics. Jody Heath, a local business owner, supports the model based on his own positive experience with a four-day week in his butcher shop.

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In a week, we can grade 6 kilometres [of road]; with this compressed to four days, then we expect that 6 kilometres to be done, but there's also probably going to be another half a kilometre of road done because the lost travel time is work time.