UK (Parliament Politics Magazine) – Local government warns councils that adopting a four-day work could risk being declared failing authority, raising operational and compliance concerns.
A four-day workweek policy has been discussed by twenty-five councils, and one, the South Cambridgeshire District Council, has already adopted it.
Councils are allowed to establish their own policies, but if an authority is thought to be failing, the government has the authority to take over.
Steve Reed stated that employees performing “part-time work for full-time pay” may be a sign of “failure” in a letter to municipalities.
He said:
“The provision the current guidance makes in relation to the four-day week remains in force … I take this issue very seriously, in particular that ‘council staff undertaking part-time work for full-time pay without compelling justification’ would be considered an indicator, among a wide range of factors, of potential failure.
I hope that makes my position on this matter and the government’s policy unambiguously clear to all councils. We will set out further detail in due course in the new best value guidance.”
Labour is updating the best value guidelines for local councils, which were last released by the Conservatives in 2024.
Reed warned South Cambridgeshire earlier this year that its performance had been negatively impacted by the four-day workweek legislation.
Reed wrote to Bridget Smith, the Liberal Democrat leader of the council, pointing out that the council’s ability to collect rent and make repairs had declined.
Smith described the authority as “exceptionally high performing” and expressed her deep disappointment after receiving Reed’s letter.
The 4 Day Week Foundation and other proponents of the four-day workweek contend that the five-day, nine-to-five workweek is antiquated and no longer appropriate for the demands of contemporary living.
They claim that despite having one of the least productive economies in Europe, British workers put in some of the longest full-time hours.The
They contend that better performance and reduced expenses would result from a four-day, thirty-two-hour workweek with no pay loss.
How would a failing label affect a council’s governance and funding?
A failing marker for a UK council, as advised by Original Government Secretary Steve Reed, signals shy performance under the Stylish Value Duty, driving boosted oversight from the Department for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities( DLUHC).
The council faces obligatory enhancement plans, implicit appointment of government officers to oversee opinions, and restrictions on borrowing or major spending without blessing, eroding original autonomy and adding central intervention.
No direct backing cuts do, but the marker heightens scrutiny on entitlement operations, raises borrowing costs due to perceived threat, and may lead to reduced investor confidence, aggravating fiscal pressures amid ongoing austerity.