New research confirms flexibility key to achieving work-life balance

Master Builders NSW and UTS

30 October 2024

A new study into the work-life balance of building and construction industry participants has found workplace flexibility is needed over a 5-day week to achieve a healthy work-life balance.

Master Builders Association of New South Wales in partnership with the School of the Built Environment at the University of Technology Sydney today released a two-year study into whether a 5-day working week would promote meaningful work-life balance in the NSW building and construction industry.

MBA NSW Executive Director Brian Seidler said there has been a lot of discussion in recent years around whether there is a need to mandate a 5-day work week in the industry.

“Everyone has a right to a healthy work-life balance. Workplace cultures that provide employees with a work-life balance represent the foundation of a productive and resilient workforce.

“This extensive research underpinned by interviews, surveys, and international literature reviews has found that universal claims around the benefits of a 5-day week should be treated with caution.

“Achieving a healthier work-life balance across the industry is far more complex than just reducing hours and days worked.

“While many people would like to work a 5-day week, few are prepared to pay for it. Few people are willing to work longer hours, take a pay cut or increase their productivity and businesses and clients are unlikely to share the costs.

“Moves to a hard 5-day work week has may have unintended consequences, including increased risks, costs and time delays impacting workers, employers and clients.

“Industry participants told us that a healthy work-life balance is most effectively and efficiently achieved by providing people with greater and more equal access to flexibility and control over when, where, how and how long they work,” Mr Seidler said.

"Although work-life balance can be increased for many in the industry, especially on large inner city construction sites, the majority have an acceptable, good or very good work-life balance.

“We need to attract more workers to the industry including women, and to do that we need to make the industry more flexible to suit the diverse needs of the workforce,” Mr Seidler concluded.

A full copy of the report can be found at http://www.masterbuildersindustryresearch.com/

Media contact: Dee Zegarac, National Director, Media & Public Affairs

0400 493 071 | dee.zegarac@masterbuilders.com.au