Full-time workers’ rights to ask for a four-day working week could be strengthened under government plans to increase flexible working.
Employees would still have to work their full hours to receive their full pay but could request to compress their contracted hours into a shorter working week, as first reported by the Daily Telegraph.
Since April, workers have already had the right to ask for flexible working as soon as they start a job but firms do not have to agree.
The government says it will not impose changes on staff or businesses, but the Conservatives say businesses are “petrified” about the plans.
Education Minister Baroness Jacqui Smith told LBC that “flexible working is actually good for productivity”.
I worked a 4 day week for years (4*10 hours) with my old employer and it was fantastic. And I can say for sure that it didn’t affect productivity for me or my team.
I don’t have kids but several of my colleagues did and it was a game changer for them. Especially the one whose partner worked for the same organisation, who could sync it up to save an absolute fortune on childcare (which is absurdly expensive here).
Another colleague was a single mother and had the choice to choose which days she did each week, meaning she could do more with her child and make it to events and such. I have no doubt that that will have a long term positive impact on her son too.
For me as a childless person I could use 2 days of annual leave to get 5 days off straight. £40 return ticket to Spain or Italy, a cheap hotel, and you can have a lovely little holiday any time of year.
I had to leave for unrelated personal reasons but that shift pattern was glorious. No less work got done and everyone was happier. And it turns out - surprise surprise - when your staff are happy they produce better work.
It’s such a no brainer. But I won’t get excited, because a certain generation seems to take any improvement for the younger generation as some kind of personal attack.