'Lazy Friday', the latest office perk to boost productivity Down Under

Melbourne, July 23 (ANI): Another workplace trend that has hit Sydney is Lazy Fridays, where workers are leaving office as early as 3 pm to enjoy a drink or two at the nearest watering hole.

Sydney's business community has embraced the Lazy Fridays movement, with offices across the city calling it quits mid-arvo.

For S2i Communications founder Wayne Tregaskis, Lazy Fridays have long had prominence within his business.

He sees these cherished afternoons - usually with a few bottles of Italian pinot grigio flowing - as the perfect way of rewarding his hard-working staff and fostering corporate intimacy.

"It's not some kind of contrived thing to build staff relations, that's a fringe benefit, but just because it's an enjoyable thing to do in a small-knit team," News.com.au quoted him as saying.

"Perhaps not surprisingly our staff longevity, in an industry that is not renowned for it, is very high," he added.

Lazy Friday afternoons is especially common in the financial community.

"The Friday early head-to-the-pub is almost the unwritten rule. I'm not sure too many companies would advertise it, but it happens everywhere," said one bank spokeswoman.

Sydney Chamber of Commerce spokesman Chris Taylor said the trend was working wonders for staff morale.

"With workplace flexibility on the rise, businesses are finding more social options to balance the working life. There is a growing trend of people leaving a bit earlier on a Friday but they are staying and working later on a Tuesday," said Taylor. (ANI)