In many ways, working too much was not a bad problem to have in 2020, when you consider the 1 million Australians who were out of work.

But is putting in extra hours at the (home) office really worth it from an output and economic point of view?

In short, not really, according to a worldwide study commissioned by global accountancy software company QuickBooks.

The study shows our neighbours on the other side of the Indian Ocean have the longest working week — people in South Africa work an average 2,209 hours a year.

The country has a GDP of $US349.3 billion ($450.7 billion).

At the other end of the scale, with a GDP more than eleven times South Africa's, at $US3.86 trillion, is the country that works the least — Germany.

Workers there average 1,362 hours a year, say the authors — almost 1,000 less than South Africa.

In 2018, German workers won the right to a 28-hour week to ensure a better work-life balance.

Lead researcher at Expert Market Adelle Kehoe explained working more isn't always better.

"Our data has shown, both in 2020 and 2019 when we first ran the study, there is a definite correlation between a shorter working week and productivity."

So, what about us?

As you mentally prepare yourself to return to work, if you haven't already, you might be wondering where Australia sits in all of this.

The authors found we work 1,665 hours a year — an average 34.6-hour working week, assuming four weeks holiday — and our GDP is $US1.38 trillion.

So, we're somewhere in the middle.

Work four days, get paid for five

Across the ditch, one of the world's largest suppliers of personal care products, Unilever, is moving to a four-day work week but staff will still be paid for five days.

"Our goal is to measure performance on output, not time," said Nick Bangs, Managing Director of Unilever New Zealand.

Since December, all of Unilever's 81 staff in New Zealand have been able to keep their full salaries but work 80 per cent of the time.

If successful, the 12-month trial will be rolled out to Unilever's operations around the world.

"We hope the trial will result in Unilever being the first global company to embrace ways of working that provide tangible benefits for staff and for business," said Mr Bangs.

Of course, the success of the program will still be measured by the financial success of the business, not just whether workers are happier because they're working less.

"Maintaining competitive edge, increasing productivity and improving wellbeing sit at the heart of the four-day work week," Mr Bangs added.

The University of Technology Sydney Business School will measure qualitative results of the Unilever trial.

"The experience of lockdown is prompting companies to really explore transitions to new, more agile ways of working," said the head of the UTS Business School's Department of Management, Professor Bronwen Dalton.

While the trial has only just begun and the results are still a year away, she doesn't expect to see a drop in productivity despite workers spending fewer hours on the job.

"It's kind of an unwritten rule that you've got to be seen to be sitting at your desk — but those hours are not necessarily any more productive at all," said Professor Dalton.

"If you take away that face time requirement, you actually can allow people to produce without having that judgement."