Civil servants call for four-day week, saying move is 'critical to attaining a good quality of life'

14 November 2024, 00:30 | Updated: 14 November 2024, 00:56

Focused businessman working at laptop in highrise office, London, UK
Civil servants have called for a four-day week. Picture: Alamy

By Flaminia Luck

Civil servants are calling for permission to work a four-day week, saying the move is "critical to attaining a good quality of life" and could help save the Government more than £21 million a year.

Listen to this article

Loading audio...

The arrangement would more than halve staff turnover and free up money to hire an extra 2,345 workers, officials in the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Defra) estimate.

The Public and Commercial Services Union (PCS), which represents civil servants and carried out the research, says it shows sickness absence could also drop from 4.3 average working days lost per staffer annually to 1.5 days.

Whitehall officials are campaigning for Defra to carry out a pilot four-day week scheme within the department so that managers can assess the arrangement.

Signage for the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs building located in Smith Square in London, UK.
A Defra spokeswoman said there were no plans for a four-day week. Picture: Alamy

Statisticians within the department who are members of the PCS say the Government could save £21.4 million from the move.

That figure is based on Institute for Government (IfG) modelling of the year 2016-17 and updated to reflect a rise in salaries, staff numbers and turnover since then.

In a survey of 1,200 members carried out by the PCS as part of its research, 80% of respondents said a four-day week would give them health and wellbeing benefits.

Read more: Who has Trump picked to be in his cabinet so far and who is in the running?

Read more: Sara Sharif’s father ‘did not intend to kill her’ but admits beating her over the head with phone months before death

General secretary Fran Heathcote said the study suggested any opposition to employees working a four-day week was "purely ideological".

"Why else would an employer stand in the way of progress?" she said.

"Our members are resolute in their belief that a four-day week is critical to attaining a good quality of life, improving their health and wellbeing and helping them to meet caring responsibilities, while all the time increasing their productivity."

The Government last week dropped official concerns about South Cambridgeshire District Council's four-day week after the authority faced opposition from the previous Tory administration.

At Prime Minister's Questions on Wednesday, Kemi Badenoch attacked Sir Keir Starmer over the move, asking him: "If he is going to bail out the public sector then can he tell us this: does he think it is appropriate - as the Ministry for Housing has done - to approve a four-day week for councils that is not flexible working but is actually part-time work for full-time pay?"

Sir Keir replied: "Questions based on what we're actually doing are usually better than fantasy questions made up.

"What did they deliver in 14 years? Low growth, a stagnant economy, a disastrous mini-budget, a £22 billion black hole and now she wants to give me advice on running the economy?

"I don't want to be rude but no thank you very much."

A Defra spokeswoman said there were no plans for a four-day week.

More Latest News

See more More Latest News

ZM712, a Boeing Apache AH2 operated by the UK's Army Air Corps, departing from RAF Fairford in Gloucestershire, England after participating in the Royal International Air Tattoo 2024 (RIAT24).

Drunken soldiers' caught during Apache cockpit romp spark military safety review

Eva Longoria, a Texas native, has said she is 'done' with the US after Trump's second election win

Eva Longoria reveals she has fled 'dystopian' America as Trump names radical right wing cabinet

Dog-free zones should be introduced to tackle racism, the Welsh government has been told.

Dog-free zones needed in countryside to tackle racism, Welsh government told

A 'major' suspected people smugger has been arrested in Amsterdam

'Major' Turkish supplier of small boats for Channel migrant crossings arrested as 'British FBI' swoop in airport

Clifton Suspension Bridge has quit Elon Musk's X after 15 years on the site.

Clifton suspension bridge dramatically departs from Twitter sparking wave of online jokes

Exclusive
Students take gap years and ‘neglect studies’ as survey suggests Edinburgh rents skyrocketed by nearly two thirds in a year.

Students take gap years and ‘neglect studies’ as survey suggests Edinburgh rents skyrocketed by nearly two thirds in a year

Two Just Stop Oil protesters charged over June's incident

Two Just Stop Oil activists charged after orange paint thrown over Stonehenge

Man arrested after reports of person carrying knives outside Houses of Parliament

Man charged with carrying offensive weapons after 'knife' incident near Parliament

Exclusive
Michael Harris died in an e-scooter crash

'My best friend was killed in an e-scooter crash - I'm urging the government not to legalise them for use on roads'

Hilkiah McLeggan, 77, from Southwark, was pronounced dead at the scene in East Street, Walworth.

First picture of Walworth market 'knife rampage' victim as suspect appears in court

Police at Gainsborough Care Home in Swanage where three people died and seven people were taken to hospital

Woman arrested over Dorset care home deaths released without charge

Donald Trump with Matt Gaetz

Trump's pick for US attorney-general faced sex-trafficking investigation by department he's now set to lead

The King is celebrating his 76th birthday

William and Kate 'wish very Happy Birthday to His Majesty The King!' as Charles celebrates turning 76

The mother said her daughter was threatened with detention for wearing a poppy to school

Mother's fury after daughter 'threatened with detention for wearing poppy to school'

Which? has launched a £3billion suit against Apple.

Which? launches £3 billion lawsuit against Apple over iCloud use - as 40 million Brits could receive payout

David Coote

Referees body 'taking very seriously' video appearing to show David Coote snorting white powder