It sounds idyllic — a four-day working week for the same pay. Reports suggest that employees could be granted new rights to work compressed hours, as part of the Employment Rights Bill. Yet such a policy confers serious risk both to business and the wider economy.
The first Labour administration in 14 years was always going to legislate in this space. To that end, the King’s Speech included such a Bill, with measures to ban zero-hours contracts, fire and rehire policies as well as updating trade union legislation. Yet this is also a Government that has made economic growth its watchword.
Worker flexibility and protection from unfair dismissal are not anathema to growth and productivity. Workplace protections are essential to any functioning economy, and employees deserve to be well compensated for their labour. But the Government must be careful not to inflict on business the sort of restrictions that discourage hiring in the first place.
A Downing Street spokesman has denied it intends to force businesses to accept employee’s requests for a four-day working week. But these drip-feed stories do not help anyone. Labour must stick to its pledges made during the election campaign, which is to work closely with business and in doing so lay the foundations for sustainable economic growth and prosperity.
Harris still has big battle
Like any vice-president hoping to step up to the top job, Kamala Harris is in an unusual position. As President Biden’s deputy, she cannot — nor would she necessarily want to — disavow the last four years. At the same time, she must demonstrate how and why she would do things differently.
Harris has endured some deserved criticism for failing to hold a press conference or major interview up until this point. Her rival, Donald Trump, may only speak to those promising to provide friendly coverage, but voters are entitled to better understand her views and how they may have evolved over the years. Indeed, the vice-president was forced to defend and explain certain convenient policy shifts, most notably on fracking, which she once opposed, and immigration.
There can be no doubt that the Democrats’ decision to effectively ditch Biden and draft Harris has transformed the US election. But it has still only shifted the race from a likely Republican victory to a toss-up. Harris would make a better president than an elderly Joe Biden and is vastly preferable to Trump at any age, but she still has a major fight on her hands to convince voters in the critical swing states.
Weekend power napping
Sleep in on the weekend — why had no one ever thought of that before? A new study suggests that people who “catch up” on lost sleep could potentially reduce their risk of heart disease by up to 20 per cent. Of course, it is never that simple.
Anyone with young children, or who works weekends, or whose mind and body is simply biologically drawn to waking up at a specific time, may understandably scoff at the idea of suddenly getting an extra hour of shut eye just because it’s a Saturday.
