Ministers have formally warned councils in England to abandon any plans to adopt ⭐️four-day working weeks ⭐️for staff, in an escalation of a simmering political row over town hall working practices.
Government guidance issued in October said councils that have adopted four-day weeks should end the practice immediately, while any authorities planning to embrace it in future should stop any trials immediately.
The guidance appears to be the latest salvo in a war of words between the government and South Cambridgeshire district council, which is believed to be the only English authority so far to have experimented with a four-day week.
The council has said its continuing trial of the practice, in which office staff and bin collectors are paid the same for working 20% fewer hours, has already 🔸helped it improve recruitment and led to over £500,000 in savings on agency workers.🔸
We had a pleasant day walking the shopping strips of Malvern and Armadale today - I took some shots of the graceful old commercial facades, along with the Malvern Town Hall and a sculptural installation across the road from it.
Part of our adoption of a four-day work week was to make Friday the day for getting out and doing Melbourne things, including exploring suburbs we rarely get to. Was a fun day out, and we didn't even spend very much - just morning tea (at Fleischer Cakes in Malvern) and lunch (at Ruben in Armadale).
For anyone who is considering it for their own org, I shifted my org to a four day workweek several months ago, just as others globally are starting to (including, civil servants in Scotland!)
100% endorse. We are getting the same amount of work done because we are less bored, stressed and tired. We all take off Fridays. Everyone’s pay remained the same.
Some people use the time for a paid second gig. Others to volunteer or like me, to read a book with a cat snuggled near by.