FRONT DESK / ANALYSIS
PRODU C T I V I T Y
Four to the fore – does a shorter working week remain a long shot? by Martin Read
I
t is something of a ‘luxury’ debate, and in the current swirling maelstrom of economic and cost-control criticalities, next to irrelevant for many. Nevertheless, mid-2022 saw debate on the concept of the four-day week take on further heat. It follows a trial, which commenced in June, of 70 firms with around 3,300 employees across the UK testing four-day working weeks: one less working day without a pay decrease. It was amplified further by an announcement in September from South Cambridgeshire District Council that it, too, was to trial four-day weeks for desk-based staff from January – and further trials involving bin crews would follow if the initial office trial is successful. Approximately 470 desk-based council staff will be able to take part across all pay grades. The council will use its standard performance metrics to check on factors including how long it takes to process benefits claims, council house rent collections, and determine planning applications. Industrystandard health and wellbeing surveys will also be used to measure success. The council’s initiative is in response to difficulties filling
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certain posts, with an aim to assess whether such a policy can increase the diversity of its workforce; for example, by having childcare costs spread over 20% less time. All told, it’s a fascinating experiment. But what about the private sector?
The flexibility paradox The Chartered Institute of Personnel and Development (CIPD) recently weighed in with its own report, Four Day Week – Employer Perspectives of Moving to a Four-Day Week, which established that 34% of firms surveyed expected four-day weeks to be a reality by 2032. (Its analysis was based on a survey of 2,000 employers
and ONS Labour Force Survey data on people’s working hours). This despite only “a small minority of firms” having “moved towards the four-day week to date. The never more than nebulous combination of ‘improved efficiencies’ and ‘adoption of technology’ would be the basis on which a shift to a four-day week without reducing pay would depend, said two thirds of the CIPD’s respondents. Jonathan Boys, senior labour market economist at the CIPD, said the rationale behind the four-day week (“to give people more leisure time and improve their wellbeing
WORK LOA D MA N AG EMEN T
A COGNITIVE LOAD OF PROBLEMS ● Those corporate office businesses keen to consider a four-day week as part of their wellbeing credentials are also those whose
workforces. However, this concept is new to individuals and businesses alike. ● “The key hurdle to overcome if this is to be
more relaxed approach to working day
successful is the management of workloads.
discipline has made ‘locking’ work to four
If staff are cutting their hours by 20% but
instead of five days problematic.
their workload and delivery expectations
● Paul Modley, director of diversity, equity
remain the same, employers could face
& inclusion at workforce solutions firm
a scenario where people are struggling
AMS, said: “The flexibility of being able to
to meet expectations and failing to take
work four days a week will certainly help
breaks or working overtime during the new
create a better work-life balance for some
working week to gain an additional day off.”
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