Authorities admits UK four-day week ‘may fit’ for some companies

Authorities officers have accepted a four-day week “may fit” for some companies, because the world’s largest trial of shorter working hours kicks off within the UK.

The Unbiased understands that officers from the division for enterprise, vitality and industrial technique (BEIS) are conserving an in depth eye on the pilot programme and have already met the research’s organisers to seek out out extra.

A gaggle of civil servants from BEIS mentioned the design of the mission and the way the coverage of chopping working hours with no lack of pay would work in observe.

However the authorities has mentioned it has “no plans” to introduce a four-day week nationally, and that adopting diminished working hours could be all the way down to the “particular person selection” of companies and staff.

In a letter to the organisers on behalf of Enterprise Minister Paul Scully, a BEIS official mentioned: “The federal government is dedicated to supporting people and companies to work flexibly.

“Whereas a four-day working week may fit effectively for some staff and employers, the federal government doesn’t imagine there is usually a ‘one measurement suits all’ strategy to work preparations.”

This month greater than 3,300 staff at 70 UK corporations, starting from a neighborhood chip store to advertising and finance corporations started testing a four-day week with no lack of pay.

The six moth pilot – organised by 4 Day Week International in partnership with the think-tank Autonomy, the 4 Day Week Marketing campaign, and researchers at Cambridge College, Oxford College and Boston School – is the biggest of its sort on the planet.

Following the assembly with BEIS officers, Joe Ryle, the director of the 4 Day Week marketing campaign, informed The Unbiased: “It’s totally encouraging that the federal government are conserving an in depth eye on the UK’s four-day week pilot.

“Politicians in Westminster throughout all events can not ignore the rising momentum throughout British society for a four-day working week.

“The four-day week with no lack of pay is the way forward for work and might deliver many advantages to the economic system, productiveness and crucially to the effectively being of staff.

“We’re lengthy overdue an replace to working hours and it is an concept whose time has come.”

Requested in regards to the assembly, a authorities spokesperson mentioned: “There are not any plans for the federal government to mandate a four-day working week.

“As a substitute, our strategy is guided by particular person selection in order that people and employers throughout the UK can work out one of the best working preparations for themselves.”

An earlier trial of dramatically diminished working hours in Iceland was judged by researchers to be an “overwhelming success” and it has since seen some native commerce unions negotiate completely diminished hours.

The research discovered will increase in employee productiveness typically made up for reductions in time spent at work, and that staff are considerably happier and more healthy.

In Britain, the final Labour management explored the concept of steadily shifting staff in direction of a four-day week, however the concept has not been retained beneath Keir Starmer.