Opponents of the government's proposals for a four-day week part of its "Make Work Pay" initiative, which will be unveiled in parliament this autumn – have been busy conjuring up images of France. Many already work to this schedule, and unemployment runs to 7.5 per cent, significantly higher than the EU average of 6 per cent.
In the UK, unemployment is just 4.3 per cent. Proponents of our “flexible” labour market, which imposes fewer rules on employers and makes it easier for businesses to fire workers, typically cite this as a win. The question is: would Labour’s four-day week change all that?
First of all, it’s worth pointing out that the government has flatly denied any plans to impose plans for a four-day week upon employers – or employees, for that matter. It would be a surprise if it did. The government’s official position on the possibility of a four-day week is that “any changes to employment legislation will be consulted on, working in partnership with business”.
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