Working a 4-day week in Australia? Understand your hours distribution, penalty rates, rostering rights, and entitlements.
Last verified: 21 May 2026A 4-day work week at the standard 7.6 hours per day gives you 30.4 hours per week. This is 80% of a full-time load — you are classified as part-time with pro-rata entitlements.
Days Per Week
4
Hours Per Day
7.6
Total Weekly Hours
30.4
A compressed 4-day work week (4 x 9.5 hours = 38 hours) is an alternative arrangement that gives you a full-time load in fewer days.
With a standard Monday-to-Friday pattern, penalty rates typically do not apply to ordinary hours.
A 4-day work week is becoming more common but is not yet standard. It typically requires a formal flexible work arrangement or compressed hours agreement.
With a Monday–Friday pattern, penalty rates generally don't apply to ordinary hours. Penalties apply for work on Saturdays, Sundays, and public holidays.
To reach the standard 38-hour full-time week in 4 days, you would work 9.5 hours per day. This means 9.5-hour days, sometimes called a compressed work week.
Your employer can only require you to work the days agreed in your contract and consistent with your award. Changes to your regular roster require consultation and reasonable notice (usually 7 days).
Most Modern Awards require at least one rostered day off per week, and many require two consecutive days off. If you are required to work on your rostered day off, penalty rates or overtime rates generally apply.
Embed this calculator on your site — free
One line of HTML. Auto-updates with the latest Australian rates. Click to copy the code.
Copy & paste into any HR blog, payroll docs, intranet, or CMS.
<iframe
src="https://fairworkmate.com.au/embed/penalty-rates?partner=YOUR_NAME"
width="100%"
height="700"
frameborder="0"
loading="lazy"
title="4-Day Work Week — Hours, Penalties & Your Rights by FairWork Mate"
style="border:1px solid #e2e8f0;border-radius:8px;max-width:680px;"
></iframe>YOUR_NAME with your site identifier for attribution (optional).“I'm using the 4-Day Work Week — Hours, Penalties & Your Rights on FairWork Mate. Walk me through what this typically tells me and what I should do next.”
Ask FairWork Mate AI →
Get notified when rates change
Free alerts when minimum wage, award rates, or workplace laws are updated.
Free forever. No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.
Stuck on your numbers?
Ask our AI advisor — it'll talk you through your specific situation in seconds.
FairWork Mate is an independent commercial service. We are not affiliated with, endorsed by, or associated with the Fair Work Ombudsman, the Fair Work Commission, or any Australian Government agency. Content is general information and estimates only — not legal, financial, or tax advice. Always verify with the Fair Work Ombudsman (13 13 94) or a qualified professional.
Your weekend and public holiday penalty rates by award — retail, hospitality, fast food & more. Free calculator shows exactly what you should earn per hour.
Overtime Pay Australia 2026: Rates, Penalties & Weekend CalculatorSaturday 150%, Sunday 175-200%, public holidays 250%. Exact overtime pay rates by award — retail, hospitality, healthcare, and more. Free calculator included.
Nurses Award Night Shift Penalty Rates 2026: Exact Rates by ClassificationComplete breakdown of night shift, weekend, and public holiday penalty rates under the Nurses Award 2020 (MA000034). Exact dollar amounts for every classification level.
Free tools surface the issue. Our partners help you solve it.
Authorised Employment Hero Partner
Australian HR, payroll, rostering and award interpretation in one platform. Used by 300,000+ businesses. Fixes the underlying payroll/compliance issues our calculators surface.
Best for: SMEs that have outgrown spreadsheet payroll or want automated award interpretation.
See Employment HeroLaw Tram — lawyer matching
Matched with the right Australian lawyer for your situation — unfair dismissal, underpayment, workplace injury, debt, tenancy and more. Many lawyers offer a free first consult and no-win-no-fee arrangements.
Best for: anyone whose workplace or personal legal issue needs proper advice, not just a calculator.
Find a lawyerIT, Microsoft & cyber partner
Microsoft 365, Copilot rollouts, Essential Eight, Privacy Act 2026 and board-level cyber compliance for Australian SMBs. Where pay and HR end, your data and IT obligations begin.
Best for: SMBs running on Microsoft 365, anyone hitting cyber/privacy compliance, boards wanting an outside read on IT risk.
See FrontrowAffiliate partners — commissions fund the free tools on this site. We only recommend partners we've vetted as a good fit for Australian workplaces.