The 4 Day Week campaign has launched a “Four-Day Week Mini Manifesto” and will advocate for change in the run up to the next general election. What changes is it calling for and how likely are they to become law?
The 4 Day Week campaign is a national campaign for a 32-hour working week with no reduction in pay. The campaign’s new Mini Manifesto calls for the political parties to back the following policies ahead of the next general election:
- amendment of the Working Time Regulations 1998 to reduce the maximum working week from 48 to 32 hours per week by 2030, together with a new provision ensuring that any work beyond 32 hours is paid at an overtime rate of 1.5 times the worker’s ordinary pay
- amendment of the government’s flexible working guidance to include the right for workers to request a four-day, 32-hour working week with no loss of pay
- establishment of a £100 million fund to support companies in the private sector to move to a four-day, 32-hour working week
- the launch of a fully funded four-day week pilot in the public sector
- establishment of a Working Time Council which would bring together trade unions, industry leaders and business leaders to co-ordinate on policy and implementation of a shorter working week.
No changes will be implemented before the next general election because the current Conservative government has already laid out its plans for amending the Working Time Regulations 1998 and the statutory flexible working regime and it doesn’t include any plans to move to a four-day week. It remains to be seen what may happen if there is a change of government at the next general election, but the Labour Party published an employment rights green paper in 2022 entitled “A New Deal for Working People” and this does not include any proposal to move to a four-day week with no loss of pay.