Extra long weekends is a viable alternative to a four-day week

Anzac Day in 2021 falls on a Sunday. For most fixed-date public holidays, when this happens, the following Monday becomes a public holiday, making a “long weekend”.

It so happens that for half the states and territories, the legislation makes no provision for this to happen in the case of Anzac Day. With about 10 public holidays a year and four weeks of annual leave entitlements, Australia is about average among OECD countries in terms of paid days off per year.

However, in the past, Australia has been a leader rather than a follower in improving employment conditions – for example in the institution of the standard eight-hour working day at the end of the 19th and beginning of the 20th centuries.