Debating the Possibility of a Four-Day Working Week: Political Perspectives and Policy Implications

Could we soon be able to demand a four day working week? The government has denied reports that it will force businesses to allow staff to work their hours over fewer days, but says it does support flexible working. Our political correspondent, Libby Vena, joins us from Westminster. Libby, not everyone is happy about this idea, are they? No. Well, Parliament returns next week and the political skirmishing has already begun. This relates to a plan put forward by Labour before the election. They wanted to do things like ban zero hours contracts and enable people to demand flexible working on day one in their jobs. Now the conservatives have seized on that today, saying that it is fundamentally anti business. But Labour say there’s nothing compulsory compulsory about what they’re proposing and they say that it will allow workers more flexibility, but it will also, they believe, boost productivity. So the 4 day week idea is, is not saying, okay, now I’m only gonna work 4/5 of what I was working previously. It may be a. A compressed hours arrangement. For example, so perhaps you previously worked eight hours a day for five days, now you work 10 hours a day for four days. You’re still doing the same amount of work, but you’re doing it in a way that you can fit around your childcare, your family, all the other things that people want to do alongside work. Well, the conservatives insist that Labour are trying to introduce A four day week by the back door? Labour say they’re planning nothing of the kind. These proposals are still being worked on and legislation won’t be brought forward until the middle of October. Expect to hear plenty of arguments about the merits of flexible working before then.