There is a significant change ramping up across Aussie workplaces, and it could prove to be the nail in the coffin for the WFH debate.
It has been six years since Covid-19 lockdowns sent the working from home debate into overdrive – now it seems a new way of working is on the rise, and could very well replace the remote work debate.
For years WFH has been at the crux of an ongoing power struggle between businesses and employees.
During lockdowns, the ability to have staff work remotely became essential for many office-based businesses in order to continue operations.
By the time restrictions lifted and it was possible for people to return to the office, working from home had turned from a necessity to an expectation for many employees.
We saw huge pushback as businesses started to want staff back in the office, leading to hybrid working quickly becoming the norm as people refused to return to a full time in-person schedule – even if it is what they were used to pre-Covid.
Throughout 2024 and 2025, there was a string of major companies introducing five-day in-office mandates, sparking more unrest from employees.
Now, recently, we have even seen companiesreversing their hard line stanceon returning to the office.
It is enough to give anyone whiplash, with seemingly no end in sight for the WFH debate.
Until now.
It seems the four-day week could be the latest work trend to explode across the country, with one expert believing it could essentially overtake WFH as a priority for Aussie workers.
Speaking to news.com.au, Constance Aloe, HR Strategist and Founder ofDistinctive People, was adamant that Australia “will see a rise in four-day work weeks and compressed weeks in 2026”.
“Flexibility is the new currency. It is no longer about the occasional WFH day. Employees want shorter weeks, reduced hours without reduced pay, job share options, compressed schedules and real support when returning to work,” she said.
“These are the benefits people will choose employers for in the new year.”
One of the common ways that companies implement a four-day week is by using the 100:80:100 model, in which staff keep 100 per cent of their pay but have their work hours reduced to 80 per cent.
However, they must maintain 100 per cent of their productivity in order for the change to work.
Other options include allowing staff to work a shorter week but for less pay, or offering standard 40 hour weeks condensed over four days.
Ms Aloe believes that the four-day working model will likely overtake the WFH debate this year, noting that the conversation about remote work has become “emotional, political and commercial all at once”.
