The Conservatives would ban full-time council staff from working a four-day working week, saying the party would “end the nonsense” if they were to win back power at the next election.
Announcing the proposal, shadow local government secretary Sir James Cleverly said “taxpayers should not be paying full rates for part-time services”.
He said the four-day working week, where staff typically complete 100 per cent of their work in 80 per cent of their contracted hours, with no pay cut, was “not good value for money”.
That’s despite a nationwide trial being hailed a success, with an improvement in staff morale and wellbeing among employees recorded, and no dip in productivity.
Sir James said: “A four-day working week, where pay is maintained but hours are reduced, is not value for money and does disservice to hardworking families just trying to get by.
“The Conservatives will end this nonsense and have a clear plan to ensure that taxpayers get the services they pay for – to deliver a stronger economy, ensuring that taxpayers get the service they pay for.”
Around 1.4 million people work in the UK’s local authorities, with staffing costs totalling approximately £22bn a year, according to the Local Government Association, which represents councils.
Currently, council employees can request changes to their working hours in line with UK laws on flexible working requests from the first day of their employment.
The Labour government’s policy is that “local authorities should not be offering full-time pay for part-time work”, a position that local government secretary Steve Reed set out in a letter to town hall leaders late last year.
He instead suggested a four-day work week on full pay could be “considered an indicator, among a wide range of factors, of potential failure” in a local authority.
Under the Tories’ proposed ‘Ban Four Day Week and the Protection of Public Services Bill’, anyone working in a public service, including all council workers, would be blocked from working shorter work weeks.
South Cambridgeshire District Council began offering a four-day work week in 2023. It found that 21 of 24 service areas improved or stayed the same during the reduced-hours working, including increasing the percentage of calls answered by the council’s contact centre and reducing the time for planning applications to be decided.
A previous trial of the four-day work week at public sector body South of Scotland Enterprise (SOSE) found 98 per cent of employees were more motivated and happier in their job when working fewer hours.
Will Stronge, chief executive of Autonomy Institute, who organised the study, said: “These groundbreaking results show that the public sector can reap similar benefits, including improved productivity, employee wellbeing, and work-life balance.”
Bridget Smith, leader of South Cambridgeshire District Council, said the move to a four-day week had reduced staff turnover and saved almost £400,000, while the council remained “exceptionally high performing”.
Hitting out at the Tories’ plans, she said: “Yet again, we witness the political gymnastics of this outdated and out of touch Conservative Party descend into a collective swoon over the terrifying prospect of a council functioning better whilst saving the taxpayer money.”
A Labour Party spokesperson said: “It’s a total embarrassment for the Tories to be, yet again, railing against things that happened on their own watch and which they took zero action on.
“This government has already told town halls not to pay five-day salaries for four days’ work.”