More councils told to ‘plan for four-day week’ under Labour

Dozens more councils could switch to a four-day working week under Labour despite Britain’s productivity crisis.

The 4 Day Week Campaign, which has called for a nationwide trial, said a more “sympathetic Labour government” could pave the way for more local authorities to switch to a shorter week.

It comes after Lib Dem-run South Cambridgeshire district council was last year ordered to stop a three month pilot over concerns the experiment broke the law and deprived taxpayers of essential services.

Independent analysis of the trial published on Monday said the four-day week resulted in improved productivity and performance, with fewer refuse collectors quitting and planning decisions being made more quickly.

Joe Ryle, of the 4 Day Week Campaign, said the results of the trial were proof that “a four-day week with no loss of pay absolutely can succeed in a local government setting”.

He added: “With a more sympathetic Labour government now in place, there is a huge opportunity for councils and organisations across the public sector to start planning for a four-day working week.”

South Cambridgeshire council launched a trial of the four-day week in May 2023, giving staff an extra day off every week while paying them full salaries.

However the council was ordered to stop the pilot over concerns it was in breach of the law. In a letter, former government minister Lee Rowley said removing a fifth of the capacity to fulfil its duties was “not something which should be acceptable”, and suggested scaling back public services throughout the week could violate the Local Government Act 1999, which binds councils to a ‘duty of best value’.

The letter backfired, however, and instead promoted seven more councils to register their interest in a four-day working week. 

The council later said its own research found that staff turnover fell by 39pc during the trial, saving £371,500, mostly on staff agency costs. Regular household planning applications were also sped up by a week and a half on average.

Newly-appointed Energy Secretary Ed Milliband has long been an advocate of a shorter working week, going as far as to devote a chapter to it in his book Go Big or Go Home: How to Fix Our World.

Deputy PM Angela Rayner has also previously encouraged businesses to introduce a four-day working week, following the success of a large-scale trial involving 2,900 workers across dozens of companies.

Ms Rayner told business leaders last year: “If you haven’t already looked at [the trial], please do.

“In terms of the four-day working week, it goes back to the first question about flexible working. If you can deliver within a four-day working week, then why not?”

Over 3,000 people working for 61 businesses tested out a shorter week with no loss of pay in 2022 as part of a nationwide pilot scheme aimed at transforming working life in Britain.

Since the financial crash, productivity growth in Britain has slowed significantly from its pre-2008 trend and has fallen behind international peers. Slower productivity growth has translated into much slower economic growth.

The Office for Budget Responsibility (OBR), which consults the treasury, expects Britain’s economy to grow 0.8pc this year, accelerating to 1.9pc in 2025. The Bank of England, in contrast, thinks the UK will grow just 0.2pc this year and 0.6pc next year.

Mike Davey, the leader of Cambridge city council, which shares planning services with South Cambridgeshire, described the trial as “a win-win-win situation, with improved service delivery for residents, reduced staffing costs for the council, and a better work-life balance for council staff.”

Cllr Pete Marland, of the Local Government Association, which represents councils, said: “More than nine in 10 councils are experiencing staff recruitment and retention difficulties across a diverse range of skills, professions and occupations. 

“It is councils who know what works best for their community, workforce and in their wider labour market conditions.

“They should be free to pilot innovative solutions to address local challenges and deliver crucial services to their residents.”

The Labour party was approached for comment.