Is there a 4-day week in New Zealand?
No. New Zealand has no national 4-day week, and no law gives employees a right to one. The idea drew attention here through Perpetual Guardian, a trust company that ran an eight-week trial in March and April 2018 for its 240 staff; the company's release says every employee had a day off each week at full pay. Researchers from AUT and the University of Auckland studied it, and the company's release said job performance was maintained while stress levels fell and work-life balance improved.
In the 2022-23 Australasia pilot run by 4 Day Week Global, 9 of the 26 companies were in New Zealand and 10 in Australia. Companies kept pay at 100% and cut work time for six months from August 2022. Boston College researchers reported that, across the whole pilot, 96% of surveyed employees wanted to continue and sick and personal days per employee per month fell 44.3%.
These were voluntary trials, mostly by small firms, and Perpetual Guardian's results come from the company's own release. Employers do not have to offer a shorter week: Employment New Zealand says an employment agreement must set the maximum hours at no more than 40 a week unless the employer and employee agree otherwise.
4-day-week trials in New Zealand
What each pilot reported. Figures are the organiser's own, from the linked report.
4 Day Week Global Australasia pilot
Run by 4 Day Week Global; research by Boston College
- Aug 2022
- 26 companies
- 758 participants
26 companies across Australasia (9 in New Zealand, 10 in Australia, 4 in Europe, 3 in the US and Canada) ran a six-month pilot from August 2022, keeping pay at 100% with a meaningful cut in work time. 758 people took part. 21 companies rated the trial 8.2/10 and 96% of employees wanted to continue.
- fewer sick days
- 44.3%
Companies rated the impact on productivity 7/10 and on performance 6.8/10. Resignation rates per 100 employees fell 8.6% (18 companies with data). Sick and personal days per employee per month fell 44.3% (17 companies).
- Mental health: 64% of surveyed employees reported less burnout and 38% felt less stressed (shares of respondents, not the size of a drop).
- Sleep: 35% of surveyed employees reported fewer sleep problems (a share of respondents).
Perpetual Guardian four-day week trial
Run by Perpetual Guardian; researchers from AUT and the University of Auckland
- Mar 2018
- 1 company
- 240 employees
Over eight weeks in March and April 2018 the trust company gave all 240 staff a day off each week at full pay. According to the company's July 2018 release, researchers found job performance was maintained, stress and work demands fell, and work-life balance, stimulation and commitment improved significantly.
Leadership reported broadly no change in company outputs before and during the trial, per the company's release.
- Mental health: Staff stress levels and work demands lowered, according to the AUT researcher quoted in the release.
Jobs in New Zealand
Who offers a 4-day week in New Zealand
Perpetual Guardian
New Zealand\'s largest trustee organisation with 135+ years of fiduciary expertise — pioneering the four-day work week with founder Andrew Barnes since 2018.
CloudCannon
CloudCannon is the world's leading CMS platform for static websites, offering a 4-day work week and flexible remote work to a global team of 29.
HealthPost
B Corp certified natural wellness retailer offering 6,000+ clean products with flexible work arrangements and a strong commitment to people and planet wellbeing.
Brevity
Boutique Australasian engineering consultancy across interiors, racking, events, and digital — running a measured 4-day week (100/80/100) since the 2022 4 Day Week Global pilot.
CONQA
Quality-first construction field management platform empowering site teams with digital tools to capture evidence, report accurately, and accelerate payments.
MSH Consulting
New Zealand management consultancy on a permanent four-day week (32h) at full pay.
How New Zealand compares
New Zealand, the labelled dot, against the other countries we cover.
Average weekly hours
17th shortest of 25 countries, 0.3 hours above the median of 37.3.
Netherlands 31.3 to South Africa 42.3
See all 25 countries
| Country | Hours |
|---|---|
| Netherlands | 31.3 |
| Denmark | 33.3 |
| Germany | 34.5 |
| Norway | 34.6 |
| Australia | 35.4 |
| Austria | 35.6 |
| Finland | 35.6 |
| Switzerland | 35.7 |
| Belgium | 36.0 |
| Ireland | 36.0 |
| United Kingdom | 36.3 |
| France | 36.9 |
| Sweden | 37.3 |
| Iceland | 37.4 |
| Japan | 37.5 |
| Spain | 37.5 |
| New Zealand | 37.6 |
| United States | 38.2 |
| Lithuania | 39.0 |
| South Korea | 39.4 |
| Brazil | 39.5 |
| Chile | 39.8 |
| Poland | 39.9 |
| Portugal | 40.0 |
| South Africa | 42.3 |
Usual weekly hours on the main job, all employed people, from the OECD (latest year, 2024 or 2025). It includes part-timers. No comparable figure for: Canada, Philippines, United Arab Emirates.
Statutory paid leave
Joint 12th longest of 26 countries, level with the median of 20.
United Kingdom 28 to United States None
See all 26 countries
| Country | Days |
|---|---|
| United Kingdom | 28 |
| Austria | 25 |
| Denmark | 25 |
| Finland | 25 |
| France | 25 |
| Sweden | 25 |
| Iceland | 24 |
| Brazil | 22 |
| Portugal | 22 |
| Spain | 22 |
| Norway | 21 |
| Australia | 20 |
| Belgium | 20 |
| Germany | 20 |
| Ireland | 20 |
| Netherlands | 20 |
| New Zealand | 20 |
| Poland | 20 |
| Switzerland | 20 |
| Chile | 15 |
| South Africa | 15 |
| South Korea | 15 |
| Canada | 10 |
| Japan | 10 |
| Philippines | 5 |
| United States | None |
The legal minimum a year, in working days on a five-day week, before public holidays. Definitions differ: some countries set weeks or calendar days (converted here), the UK lets public holidays count and the United States has no national minimum. Each country page says what its number covers. No comparable figure for: Lithuania, United Arab Emirates.
Working in New Zealand
Working hours
New Zealand workers averaged 37.6 hours a week in 2024 (OECD, usual hours on the main job). Employment New Zealand says hours must be agreed in a written employment agreement, with the maximum set at no more than 40 a week unless the parties agree otherwise. If the maximum is under 40, they must try to fix the hours so they are worked on no more than five days of the week.
Paid leave and holidays
All employees become entitled to 4 weeks of annual holidays after 12 months of continuous employment. On a five-day week that is 20 working days, which leaves 48 working weeks a year before public holidays and sick leave. The Holidays Act 2003 applies until the Employment Leave Act 2026 replaces it on 6 August 2028. New Zealand has 11 national public holidays in 2026, plus regional anniversary days.