Councils in England may have the precise to undertake a four-day working week after the federal government dropped issues raised by the Conservatives once they have been in energy.
For greater than a 12 months, South Cambridgeshire district council has defied Conservative opposition to its coverage to introduce a four-day working week, after a controversial 15-month trial indicated in March that the efficiency of its employees principally improved or remained the identical, whereas the council concurrently saved greater than £370,000 in a 12 months.
The Labour authorities has determined to not reissue a “best value notice” that was despatched to the Liberal Democrat-led council by the Department for Levelling up, Housing and Communities in November 2023 and March 2024. The discover warned the council the federal government had issues it was failing to adjust to its authorized responsibility to offer a repeatedly enhancing service for taxpayers, forcing the council to submit about 200 items of uncooked information to authorities each week.
These issues have now been dropped by the newly named Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government, which stated on Friday that though it was not authorities coverage to help a “general move” to a four-day working week, councils have been “rightly responsible for the management and organisation of their own workforces”.
Transport for London is drawing up plans to permit tube drivers to start working a median four-day week subsequent 12 months.
TfL has instructed the Aslef union it would share an preliminary proposal for a median four-day working week in January, in keeping with a letter seen by the BBC.
Last Tuesday, the tube drivers’ union referred to as off two days of strike motion over pay.
The selections have been welcomed by the 4 Day Week Campaign. “A four-day week with no loss in pay is a win-win-win,” the director, Joe Ryle stated. “With 50% more free time, [it] gives people the freedom to live happier, more fulfilling lives.”
He stated the South Cambridgeshire trial had proven that employees on four-day weeks have been happier and the council discovered it simpler to make use of everlasting employees in “hard-to-fill roles”, which was why the experiment had saved the council a whole lot of hundreds of kilos.
The trial, involving about 450 desk employees plus refuse collectors, found:
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Staff turnover fell by 39%, serving to save £371,500 in a 12 months, totally on company employees prices.
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Regular family planning purposes have been determined a few week and a half earlier.
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Approximately 15% extra main planning utility selections have been accomplished throughout the appropriate timescale.
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The time taken to course of modifications to housing profit and council tax profit claims fell.
