Australia’s peak union body is pushing for workers to receive an additional week of annual leave, arguing the country’s labour standards should reflect changes in work intensity and growing levels of stress.
The Australian Council of Trade Unions (ACTU) has proposed expanding the standard annual leave entitlement from four weeks to five weeks, bringing Australia closer to leave provisions common in several European countries.
ACTU secretary Sally McManus said the existing four-week entitlement had remained largely unchanged for about half a century, despite major shifts in how Australians work.
“A lot had changed in the 50 years since four weeks of leave was made standard,” McManus told ABC.
She said work had become more demanding over that period, with rising expectations, longer hours and increasing pressure on employees across many industries.
“Over those 50 years, work has intensified. People’s level of stress has increased a lot, and burnout has increased a lot,” she said.
“It’s time now that we moved with the times and upgraded our rights and gave people more leave.”
The ACTU argues that Australians are already effectively working extra time without compensation.
According to union estimates, workers perform an average of 3.8 weeks of unpaid labour each year, often through unpaid overtime, additional hours or work completed outside formal schedules.
“We’re very hard-working in Australia and doing it for free,” McManus said.
“So to get back one of those weeks is only fair.”
Supporters of the proposal say additional leave could help address growing concerns about workplace burnout and mental health.
McManus said improved work-life balance could also have economic benefits if it helped employees remain productive and engaged at work.
“When workers are less stressed, when they aren’t burnt out, they’re more productive,” she said.
Any nationwide change to annual leave entitlements would likely require amendments within Australia’s workplace relations framework, including the Fair Work system, which governs minimum employment standards.
Employer groups have historically cautioned that increasing statutory leave entitlements could raise labour costs for businesses, particularly in sectors already facing staffing shortages.
The proposal adds to a broader debate about workplace conditions in Australia, as policymakers, unions and employers continue to examine how labour standards should adapt to modern working patterns.
