A Welsh Government appointed group has spent a year looking at the pros and cons of a four day week. The Working Group was set up after calls for a pilot of the 4-day week in devolved public services in Wales. These committees take expert advice and explore the practical implications of potential new policies. The 4 day week has been trialled by some
UK companies and in a small pilot by Scottish Government. There are two interpretations of a 4 day week. It can either be a workers carrying out the same number of hours over 4 days or an actual shorter working week but on the same pay as before. In this instance the group - set up under the auspices of the Workforce Partnership Council (WPC)- was specifically looking at a 4-day working week with no loss of pay or benefits, combined with a 20% reduction to normal contracted hours. READ MORE: The planned bypass around a North Wales beauty spot READ MORE: Outlet store brand to open at former North Wales M&S unit Supporters say it improves the work/life balance for staff and increases productivity. But there are concerns it could hit the services offered by businesses or the public sector. This is a particular concern when services likes the NHS are already under enormous pressure. One organisation warned it would need an extra 180 workers to maintain services. Based on the work it cited these benefits. But there were also a list of risks with the policy Join the North Wales Live
WhatsApp community now The Working Group made the following recommendations: Public sector employers, trade unions and the Welsh Government should, through the WPC, redouble efforts to identify an organisation or organisations who are ready and willing to pilot the 4-Day Week. If any pilot of the 4-day week takes place in devolved public services, the following eight principles should be considered: Consider the benefits and costs of engaging external expertise in the design and evaluation of any future 4-day week pilot. The Welsh Government and Social Partners should note this Working Group’s definition that a “4-day working week means no loss of pay or benefits, combined with a 20% reduction to normal contracted hours, while maintaining current levels of service delivery”, whilst also recognising organisations may flex that definition in ways that work for them. Consideration should be given to the use of the term ‘shorter working week’ or ‘shorter working day’ as opposed to ‘4-day week’. The latter is widely used by political and media sources, but it may not aid public understanding. It is often widely misinterpreted and taken in its literal sense to mean a shutdown on one of the 5 days of a traditional working week, potentially leading to inaccurate fears about access to and provision of services. Sign up now for the latest news on the North Wales Live Whatsapp community Find out what the weather is up to near you