Innovator won’t rule out political career
Four-day week boss says both sides of aisle lack vision
The innovative boss behind the fourday week is starting to effect policy changes internationally, leading to speculation that a political career could be on the cards.
Asked whether he was looking to follow in the footsteps of former Air New Zealand CEO Christopher Luxon and pursue a political career, Perpetual Guardian founder Andrew Barnes was coy.
“One shouldn’t say never about anything, but just for the moment I’m focusing on the four-day week campaign,” he told the Weekend Herald.
“Let’s face it, how many chances do you get to change the world? Wherever you look around the world, you have political standards that are pretty low and behaviour that’s also of quite a low standard. Here’s something that I can do, which I think has applicability far greater than just New Zealand. I’m effecting change in Russia, in the UK, Ireland and the US.”
While the four-day week policy could be seen as a left-leaning ideology, Barnes views it as strictly apolitical and takes a centrist approach in explaining its applicability.
He says the resonance of the fourday week comes from the fact that it could be interpreted in myriad ways: the social aspect could be seen as benefiting workers; the productivity angle leans in favour of business; and there’s even the environmental side, which involves the reduction in the number of cars on the road in a given week.
“There’s something in this for everyone and that’s why it’s gone so far,” he said.
One source described Barnes as a centrist who could lean slightly toward National, but the richlister keeps his cards close to his chest and doesn’t hold back in criticising politicians across the spectrum.
“Neither side of the aisle at the moment are particularly adventurous or far-seeing in terms of what they could bring,” he says.
“We have a chance in New Zealand to lead the world with this. I’m not saying that you create legislation that forces all companies to do this, but at least change the legislation so it’s fit for purpose.”
Barnes sees the concept of “hours worked” as antiquated and would like to see the legislation evolve to something that focused instead on productivity.
“The sad thing is that I can’t get anyone in New Zealand to pick this up and run with it, which is a shame.”
His comments come off the back of enormous international interest, particularly in Europe, where politicians have started to look at ways to incorporate the four-day week into legislation.
One of the most high-profile examples was UK Labour Party leader Jeremy Corbyn’s adoption of the fourday week as a policy position.
“I think it’s fair to say we were one of the inspirations behind that,” says Barnes.
“We were being interviewed by Labour UK thinktanks, which I think prompted the Labour and the trade union groups to look at the four-day week. The party conducted a report that advised against legislating for a four-day week, but the party ignored that advice and said they would bring it in.”
Barnes has had a more direct impact on Ireland, where he has worked
There’s something in [the four-day week idea] for everyone and that’s why it’s gone so far. Andrew Barnes
with the Forsa trade union as part of a coalition of businesses, women’s groups and environmental organisations dedicated to introducing a productivity-focused four-day week.
“When you’ve got a political message, there are different ways of communicating it and traditional means of effecting change through Parliament arguably aren’t as necessary anymore,” he says.
“You can, through social media and the media broadly . . . influence people and countries to an extent that’s almost unbelievable.”
Asked why he thinks New Zealand’s Labour Party hasn’t overtly come out in support of the policy, Barnes puts it down to the perception associated with the movement.
“A rather unsure of itself coalition Government in terms of economic credibility is nervous about backing something like this because it can be interpreted as a policy of the left, even though I am very clearly enunciating it as a policy for business,” he says.
He finds this all the more disappointing because he keeps receiving interest from people all over the world asking for information on the four-day week.
In response to the sheer volume of interest he’s been receiving, Barnes has now taken the step of publishing a book titled The 4 Day Week: How the
Flexible Work Revolution Can Increase Productivity, Profitability and Wellbeing, and Create a Sustainable Future.
The book offers an argument for the four-day week while also providing a guide on how it can be put into practice effectively.
The book will become available in January and proceeds will go to the 4 Day Week Global Foundation to support research into the future of work.