UK (Parliament Politics Magazine) – Over 100 business and charity leaders urged Business Secretary Steve Reed to back a four-day workweek, amid debate over council trials and performance.
As reported by The Guardian, over 100 business and charity leaders urged ministers to guide England toward a shorter working week, following criticism of a council’s four-day trial.
Steve Reed penned a letter to South Cambridgeshire council, the first in England to trial a four-day week, citing “deep disappointment” over its impact on efficiency and costs.
According to a leaked letter, the independent report showed
“declines in key housing services, including rent collection, reletting times, and tenant satisfaction with repairs.”
What did business leaders urge in letter on four-day week?
Business and charity leaders signed an open letter on Thursday, urging the government to establish a working time council to oversee England’s move to a four-day week.
The letter states,
“As business leaders, trade union leaders and advocates who have witnessed the successful transition to a four-day working week (with no loss of pay) in many contexts, we can say with confidence that it is not just an idea for the future – it is already delivering results today.”
It adds,
“From different sectors and company sizes, we have all witnessed the same outcome: shorter working weeks are not only viable, but transformative.”
How did South Cambridgeshire council defend four-day week savings?
Bridget Smith, leader of South Cambridgeshire council, responded to Steve Reed’s letter. She said she was “extremely disappointed” and noted most council services had improved or remained steady during the four-day week trial.
Ms Smith rejected Mr Reed’s claims that staff performance had dropped, saying her team completed 100% of their work in 32 hours weekly since the four-day work week started.
She added,
“Our financial analysis indicates that as a result of the four-day week we are saving a net £399,000 per annum, in large part due to eliminating our reliance on agency staff to fill positions.”
What did Joe Ryle say about Steve Reed’s four-day work week comments?
Joe Ryle, head of the 4 Day Week Foundation, dismissed Mr Reed’s comments as “frankly ridiculous,” saying they made the government appear “outdated and stuck in the past.”
He said,
“We know four-day working weeks and flexible working is good for workers and businesses, that has been proven time and time again. The council overall is outperforming, compared to other councils in the country, so cherrypicking these three areas does seem odd and frustrating.”
Mr Ryle added,
“When it comes to the private sector it has been quite widely embraced, hundreds and hundreds of companies have successfully implemented four-day weeks in the last couple of years, but as soon as it enters the public sector, that is when it seems to be contested.”
What councils and UK workers say about adopting four-day weeks?
Reports reveal that 25 more councils across the UK will trial four-day working weeks next year.
Ministers have no legal authority over council work patterns. The government can push but cannot block four-day week trials.
The Office for National Statistics reported that over 200,000 workers have adopted a four-day week since the Covid-19 pandemic.
According to the 4 Day Week Foundation, more than 430 firms in the UK have shifted to a reduced workweek, covering over 13,000 employees in recent years.
What is the four-day week policy, and which countries have adopted it?
A four-day workweek typically reduces the standard work week from five days to four. The most common model is “100:80:100”-employees receive 100% of their pay for 80% of the time (around 32 hours), in exchange for maintaining 100% productivity.
Many countries are testing the model through government or private sector trials. Recent and ongoing pilots have taken place in Japan, Germany, Portugal, the United Arab Emirates, Brazil, and the United Kingdom, among others.