Councils warned against adopting four-day week
Local Government Minister Steve Reed has written to all council leaders in England warning them not to introduce a four-day working week.
The letter is understood to say that “council staff undertaking part-time work for full-time pay without compelling justification would be regarded as an indication of potential failure across a wide range of factors”, the Telegraph reported.
He added that he hoped the government had made its policy “clearly clear to all councils”.
A Labor source said: “Electors deserve the high standards and hard work of local councils and seeing council staff working a four-day week won’t cut it.” he said.
“They should continue their work and ensure residents receive the best possible service five days a week,” the source added.
In the letter sent to the councils, According to the news of The TelegraphReed says local officials should not offer “full-time wages for part-time work.”
Reed has previously stated “deep disappointment” The first council in the UK to adopt a four-day working week.
Liberal Democrat-led South Cambridgeshire District Council became the first area to make a permanent switch to a four-day week in July after starting to trial a shorter working week in 2023.
Reed said there was a decline in performance in the council’s housing service and asked how the local authority would “mitigate” this.
The government can intervene in any council deemed to be failing.
Last year, Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer also rejected civil servants’ demands for a four-day work week.
Critics of the four-day week say it would reduce productivity and slow economic growth, but others disagree.
A case in the Scottish public sector This year an increase in productivity and improvements in staff welfare were detected.
The Autonomy Institute, appointed by the Scottish government to co-ordinate the pilot, found that 98% of staff agreed their morale and motivation had improved.
