How to have a 35-hour week

Five ways workers can achieve a 35-hour working week:

Work smarter, not longer:Prioritise the workload. Can the same amount of work be achieved in a shorter amount of time? Set aside timed periods for odd jobs, such as attending to emails and returning phone calls.

Try taking shorter coffee breaks, chats with colleagues or lunch periods to reduce time spent at the office.

• Switch to part-time hours:

Part-time work is defined as less than 35 hours a week, which means workers can work a substantial amount of hours each week but less than required for a full-time workload. Ask the employer to reduce hours and salary accordingly to suit the amount of time required.

• Speak to the boss:

Workers already at the workplace for longer than 38 hours who want to reduce their time may have a good case for a new worker to be employed to cover the shortfall. Requests for less hours are more likely to be granted by employers who want to retain good workers in an employment market hampered by a skills shortage.

• Be at the forefront:

Employers can attract the best staff, retain skilled workers and create an enthusiastic work environment by offering a 35-hour week to their employees without sacrificing their pay. If money is an issue, try other trade-offs negotiated through enterprise bargaining which can benefit both parties.

• Be more flexible:

Negotiate the work environment. Workers may be more willing to come to the office on more days of the week or work longer hours when business demands their skills in return for shorter weekly hours overall. Employers may find some staff are willing to take a corresponding pay cut or provide some other type of compensation for the shorter working week.