Workers are to be given new rights to demand a four-day week in a law planned for this autumn.
The Telegraph understands the system of “compressed hours”, which lets an employee work their contracted week’s hours in four days rather than five, will be included in the package of new rights for workers.
It will form part of a law being championed by Angela Rayner, the Deputy Prime Minister, in close consultation with trade unions as well as businesses.
Currently, employees have the legal right to request flexible working, but there is no obligation on companies to agree.
That balance of power is to be shifted, with companies instead legally obliged to offer flexible working from day one except where it is “not reasonably feasible”.
It means workers will have much greater powers to get bosses to agree if they want to complete their full week’s hours between Monday and Thursday, taking Friday off.
The Conservatives warned that the approach undercuts Labour’s promise to prioritise economic growth and would leave businesses “petrified”.
Kevin Hollinrake, the Tory shadow business secretary, said: “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.
“Labour must listen to businesses who are petrified about day one employment rights and bringing in the four-day week through the back door. It will be businesses and consumers who pay and growth that suffers if they don’t listen.”
Critics of the approach warn that flexible working, such as allowing people to more readily work from home, would actually lead to reduced productivity.
But a Labour source close to the plans rejected the criticism, pointing out that the Tories, in their 2019 election manifesto, vowed to make flexible working the “default” and citing studies showing it could improve productivity.
A Labour source said: “The Conservatives pledged to make flexible working the default then failed to do so. We’ll build on their existing legislation to ensure flexibility is a genuine default, except where it is not reasonably feasible for employers to agree.
“Flexible working options such as compressed hours and term-time working can support more people to stay in the workforce and boost productivity, whether keeping parents in their jobs or helping those juggling caring responsibilities for older relatives.”
The working rights package, called Labour’s Plan to Make Work Pay, has been the subject of years of internal discussion and debate with trade unions.
Tight_Excitement_409 on
More help for the laptop class? This only really works for a few job types. Doesn’t really work when you need someone physically doing something at a specific time
RangoCricket on
give it a week and businesses moaning and this will be backpedalled.
YouHaveAWomansMouth on
I’m going to make an early prediction that a popular sentiment in this thread will be:
“Well, *I* wouldn’t get this or want this in my workplace, so I don’t see why those who would should be allowed to have it.”
LiteratureLoud3993 on
Torygraph lying for their pay masters again…
Just an expansion of what you CAN ask for, not what you are guaranteed.
Same with any flexible working request… if you can show that it’s a reasonable adjustment to work your 5 days hours in 4 and not “I want 5 days pay for 4” like is being insinuated, the employer will have to consider it against business needs and reply
Nothing to see here but the usual bollocks from Tory sock puppets.
High-Tom-Titty on
I feel like this will be like the time everyone got flexitime, except my department was limited when we could use it as we had dealings overseas. Friday afternoons sucked.
Delicious_Opposite55 on
Compressed hours aren’t really a for day week. Its a 5 day week squashed into 4 days. Just give us a fucking 30 hour week for fucks sake
Technical-Economy-56 on
I am not against the 4-day work week, I am against the government mandating it even partly. And this is regardless of the part that tried it.
Worried_Ad4237 on
After being in the construction industry all my working life from the age of 15y and now in a management role at the age of 62y I’m mentally fucked with all the H&S bullshit! I’ve gone to a 4 day week but still on the phone working 60hr plus a week so whatever gov regs come in like EU regs about 10y ago just sign a sign a waiver form then it doesn’t mean Jack shit!
Zepren7 on
It starts with compressed hours but this is the pathway to 4 day working weeks. Just look at flexible hours. Previously at employer discretion now mandatory (where possible).
Anyone against this is either a ultra capitalist conservative who wants us all to die at our posts for the almighty pound or thick. Very few will take the compressed hours but it’s opening the door to further advancements in workers’ rights.
averagesophonenjoyer on
How will this help teachers who can’t even take a personal day because someone needs to be watching their students?
This will only help workers in privileged jobs that aren’t time sensitive.
Will those forced to continue 5 days a week be getting a 20% pay rise?
Exonicreddit on
Sounds good, I work till late anyway, so I may as well get an extra day off for it.
A 3 day weekend is going to help me unwind and be more productive after proper rest.
PsychoticDust on
“with companies instead legally obliged to offer flexible working from day one except where it is “not reasonably feasible”.”
As always, the devil is in the details. It seems that companies have a decent bit of wiggle room here. Plus the article is not referring to a proper four day week, it is compressed hours. The number of people here who, at the time of this comment, do not know the well defined difference between the two terms is worrying.
Four day work week = 80% of hours for 100% pay.
Compressed hours = 100% of hours worked in four days instead of five.
kezzaold on
Best jobs are the ones where as long as x amount is done no one should give a fuck.
14 Comments
Article text –
Workers are to be given new rights to demand a four-day week in a law planned for this autumn.
The Telegraph understands the system of “compressed hours”, which lets an employee work their contracted week’s hours in four days rather than five, will be included in the package of new rights for workers.
It will form part of a law being championed by Angela Rayner, the Deputy Prime Minister, in close consultation with trade unions as well as businesses.
Currently, employees have the legal right to request flexible working, but there is no obligation on companies to agree.
That balance of power is to be shifted, with companies instead legally obliged to offer flexible working from day one except where it is “not reasonably feasible”.
It means workers will have much greater powers to get bosses to agree if they want to complete their full week’s hours between Monday and Thursday, taking Friday off.
The Conservatives warned that the approach undercuts Labour’s promise to prioritise economic growth and would leave businesses “petrified”.
Kevin Hollinrake, the Tory shadow business secretary, said: “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.
“Labour must listen to businesses who are petrified about day one employment rights and bringing in the four-day week through the back door. It will be businesses and consumers who pay and growth that suffers if they don’t listen.”
Critics of the approach warn that flexible working, such as allowing people to more readily work from home, would actually lead to reduced productivity.
But a Labour source close to the plans rejected the criticism, pointing out that the Tories, in their 2019 election manifesto, vowed to make flexible working the “default” and citing studies showing it could improve productivity.
A Labour source said: “The Conservatives pledged to make flexible working the default then failed to do so. We’ll build on their existing legislation to ensure flexibility is a genuine default, except where it is not reasonably feasible for employers to agree.
“Flexible working options such as compressed hours and term-time working can support more people to stay in the workforce and boost productivity, whether keeping parents in their jobs or helping those juggling caring responsibilities for older relatives.”
The working rights package, called Labour’s Plan to Make Work Pay, has been the subject of years of internal discussion and debate with trade unions.
More help for the laptop class? This only really works for a few job types. Doesn’t really work when you need someone physically doing something at a specific time
give it a week and businesses moaning and this will be backpedalled.
I’m going to make an early prediction that a popular sentiment in this thread will be:
“Well, *I* wouldn’t get this or want this in my workplace, so I don’t see why those who would should be allowed to have it.”
Torygraph lying for their pay masters again…
Just an expansion of what you CAN ask for, not what you are guaranteed.
Same with any flexible working request… if you can show that it’s a reasonable adjustment to work your 5 days hours in 4 and not “I want 5 days pay for 4” like is being insinuated, the employer will have to consider it against business needs and reply
Nothing to see here but the usual bollocks from Tory sock puppets.
I feel like this will be like the time everyone got flexitime, except my department was limited when we could use it as we had dealings overseas. Friday afternoons sucked.
Compressed hours aren’t really a for day week. Its a 5 day week squashed into 4 days. Just give us a fucking 30 hour week for fucks sake
I am not against the 4-day work week, I am against the government mandating it even partly. And this is regardless of the part that tried it.
After being in the construction industry all my working life from the age of 15y and now in a management role at the age of 62y I’m mentally fucked with all the H&S bullshit! I’ve gone to a 4 day week but still on the phone working 60hr plus a week so whatever gov regs come in like EU regs about 10y ago just sign a sign a waiver form then it doesn’t mean Jack shit!
It starts with compressed hours but this is the pathway to 4 day working weeks. Just look at flexible hours. Previously at employer discretion now mandatory (where possible).
Anyone against this is either a ultra capitalist conservative who wants us all to die at our posts for the almighty pound or thick. Very few will take the compressed hours but it’s opening the door to further advancements in workers’ rights.
How will this help teachers who can’t even take a personal day because someone needs to be watching their students?
This will only help workers in privileged jobs that aren’t time sensitive.
Will those forced to continue 5 days a week be getting a 20% pay rise?
Sounds good, I work till late anyway, so I may as well get an extra day off for it.
A 3 day weekend is going to help me unwind and be more productive after proper rest.
“with companies instead legally obliged to offer flexible working from day one except where it is “not reasonably feasible”.”
As always, the devil is in the details. It seems that companies have a decent bit of wiggle room here. Plus the article is not referring to a proper four day week, it is compressed hours. The number of people here who, at the time of this comment, do not know the well defined difference between the two terms is worrying.
Four day work week = 80% of hours for 100% pay.
Compressed hours = 100% of hours worked in four days instead of five.
Best jobs are the ones where as long as x amount is done no one should give a fuck.