Labour backs four-day week based on 'compressed time'

Employees could get the right to a four-day working week under new laws being considered by Labour as part of their package for workers. This would come in the form of "compressed hours" where an employee is allowed to work their regular hours over four days instead of five, according to reports.

- ALBERT TOTH

Angela Rayner is understood to be spearheading Labour’s plan for workers, consulting with trade unions and businesses ahead of new legislation expected in the autumn.

Under current rules, workers have the right to request flexible working, but employers aren’t legally obliged to agree. The new law would see this change, with all employers needing to offer flexible working from day one, except where it is “not reasonably feasible”.

This means workers could be able to request that their employers allow them to undertake their normal working hours over a four day period. However, the policy is more likely to be beneficial to office workers and those with regular hours. Employers in industries like hospitality or retail will be more likely to be able to argue that requests are not feasible.

Education minister Baroness Jacqui Smith said of the reports: “We think that flexible working is actually good for productivity. So the four-day week that I know is on the front of quite a lot of newspapers today, what we’re actually talking about there is the type of flexible working that enables you to use compressed hours.”