Plans to enhance flexible working by the Government could grant full-time employees the ability to request their companies work a four-day workweek.
When Labour took office earlier this year, they vowed to implement the four-day week as the norm for all employees, with the exception of those cases where it was impractical.According to an external report by the Daily Telegraph, employees will soon be able to work four longer days rather than five.
But what would a four-day work week look like and what are the current rules?
What would a four-day work week look like?
According to plans initially revealed by the Daily Telegraph, workers would still be required to perform their contracted hours in order to receive their full salary, but they would also have the option to condense their hours into a shortened workweek.
Ministers are adamant they will not force the move on employees or companies.
"Any changes to employment legislation will be consulted on, working in partnership with business," said a spokesperson at the Department for Business and Trade, the BBC reports.
They clarified that the goal of the plan for more flexible working hours was to boost output and assist in placing more people in work.
Specifics should be anticipated in the autumn, when Parliament is likely to start debating a bill that would establish a new set of workers' rights.
The UK isn’t completely new to the idea. Previously, several companies including Dunelm and Network Rail have tried a four-day work week.
The list also comprises:
- Hutch
- Tyler Grange
- We Are Purposeful
- Infigo
- Awin
- Camlas
- Bex Design and Print
- PR Dispatch
- Springbok AI
- London Landmark Hotel
- Atom Bank
What are the current working rules?
Although employers are only obligated to respond to requests in a "reasonable manner", employees already have the right to seek flexible working hours.
How are people reacting to a four-day work week?
The plans, according to Deputy Prime Minister Angela Rayner, will be "good for the economy" and Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer describes them as "the biggest upgrade to workers' rights in a generation".
However, the Conservatives argue that the strategy will hurt companies and lower productivity.
According to Kevin Hollinrake, the shadow business secretary for the Conservatives, firms were "petrified" over the plans.
"Despite warning after warning from industry, Angela Rayner is pressing ahead with her French-style union laws that will make doing business more expensive in the UK," Mr Hollinrake said.
Which countries follow a four-day work week?
The four-day workweek is increasingly prevalent throughout the world.
The Belgian government adopted labour reforms in 2022, granting employees the option to select a four-day workweek.
Lithuania instituted a four-day work week exclusively for new parents in the same year to address and battle the gender pay gap.
It was undertaken in acknowledgement of the fact that men typically dedicated more time to a higher-paying job at this time, while women frequently reduced their hours worked.
Portugal, Japan, Iceland, and South Africa are also known to have taken part in a four-day work week.
