[UK] MP advocating for four-day week blames low productivity on long hours

A UK MP is calling for a national switch to a four-day week and blaming long working hours for the nation’s low levels of productivity, Big Issue reports.

The new legislation was presented to parliament by Labour MP Peter Dowd. Under it, every British worker would be given the legal right to a four-day working week.

“All the evidence shows a four-day week with no loss of pay would be good for the economy, good for workers and good for the environment,” Mr Dowd said, describing a shorter working week as beneficial to Britain’s ailing economy.

The proposed legislation follow only weeks after the world’s biggest trial of a four-day working week, held in the UK, passed the halfway mark. Early reports of the trial suggest it is going “extremely well”.

However, Mr Dowd’s proposals were firmly rejected by Conservative MP Sir Christopher Chope who reportedly argued that the legislation would stop people who wanted to work more than 32 hours a week from doing so. Sir Chope said that it would be like throwing a “hand grenade” into the economy. 

Mr Dowd argued that the UK’s productivity has been behind that of Europe, the US and Japan for decades as a result of the long hours that many Brits work. 

“It may seem counterintuitive that working less hours results in greater productivity, but there is already surmounting evidence that proves the hypothesis,” he said.

“Long working hours are an acute problem in this country. According to the TUC British workers put in some of the longest hours in Europe while having one of the least productive economies in comparison.” 

“And according to the Health and Safety Executive, 18 million work days were lost as a result of work-related stress, depression, or anxiety,” Mr Dowd added.

The Labour MP for Bootle, near Liverpool, has also reportedly made the case that additional time off work would give people further time to spend money in their local economies.

Mr Dowd’s comments are quite a contrast to those of the prime minister. Ms Truss has previously stated the British economy has been held back by unproductive workers who need “more graft”, suggesting they lack the “skill and application” of foreign rivals.

Workers are currently able to work a maximum of 48 hours per week under the Working Time Regulations Act 1998. Mr Dowd is seeking to have this reduced by a third.

Currently, over 70 companies and 3,300 workers in Britain are taking part in the world’s biggest ever four-day week pilot, receiving the same pay for an extra day off each week. 

After six months of the pilot, nine in 10 of those taking part have reported that they would be likely to consider keeping the new way of working. Just under a third said that the transition to one less working day a week had been “extremely smooth”, and just under half reported that business productivity had improved “at least slightly” if not “significantly”. 

A four-day working week has also been adopted by some as a way to attract workers as a response to the deepening recruitment crisis deepens. South Cambridgeshire council reportedly became the first UK council to make the switch, as an attempt to fill longstanding 23 vacancies.   

Joe Ryle - director of the 4 Day Week Campaign - said moving to a four-day working week is not just a “win-win” for both workers and employers but that it would also “boost productivity which is very low in the UK compared with our European neighbours.”

“Moving to a four-day week would be transformative for wellbeing and would give us all the time to live happier and more fulfilled lives,” Mr Ryle said.

Source: Big Issue

(Quotes via original reporting)

A UK MP is calling for a national switch to a four-day week and blaming long working hours for the nation’s low levels of productivity, Big Issue reports.

The new legislation was presented to parliament by Labour MP Peter Dowd. Under it, every British worker would be given the legal right to a four-day working week.

“All the evidence shows a four-day week with no loss of pay would be good for the economy, good for workers and good for the environment,” Mr Dowd said, describing a shorter working week as beneficial to Britain’s ailing economy.

The proposed legislation follow only weeks after the world’s biggest trial of a four-day working week, held in the UK, passed the halfway mark. Early reports of the trial suggest it is going “extremely well”.

However, Mr Dowd’s proposals were firmly rejected by Conservative MP Sir Christopher Chope who reportedly argued that the legislation would stop people who wanted to work more than 32 hours a week from doing so. Sir Chope said that it would be like throwing a “hand grenade” into the economy. 

Mr Dowd argued that the UK’s productivity has been behind that of Europe, the US and Japan for decades as a result of the long hours that many Brits work. 

“It may seem counterintuitive that working less hours results in greater productivity, but there is already surmounting evidence that proves the hypothesis,” he said.

“Long working hours are an acute problem in this country. According to the TUC British workers put in some of the longest hours in Europe while having one of the least productive economies in comparison.” 

“And according to the Health and Safety Executive, 18 million work days were lost as a result of work-related stress, depression, or anxiety,” Mr Dowd added.

The Labour MP for Bootle, near Liverpool, has also reportedly made the case that additional time off work would give people further time to spend money in their local economies.

Mr Dowd’s comments are quite a contrast to those of the prime minister. Ms Truss has previously stated the British economy has been held back by unproductive workers who need “more graft”, suggesting they lack the “skill and application” of foreign rivals.

Workers are currently able to work a maximum of 48 hours per week under the Working Time Regulations Act 1998. Mr Dowd is seeking to have this reduced by a third.

Currently, over 70 companies and 3,300 workers in Britain are taking part in the world’s biggest ever four-day week pilot, receiving the same pay for an extra day off each week. 

After six months of the pilot, nine in 10 of those taking part have reported that they would be likely to consider keeping the new way of working. Just under a third said that the transition to one less working day a week had been “extremely smooth”, and just under half reported that business productivity had improved “at least slightly” if not “significantly”. 

A four-day working week has also been adopted by some as a way to attract workers as a response to the deepening recruitment crisis deepens. South Cambridgeshire council reportedly became the first UK council to make the switch, as an attempt to fill longstanding 23 vacancies.   

Joe Ryle - director of the 4 Day Week Campaign - said moving to a four-day working week is not just a “win-win” for both workers and employers but that it would also “boost productivity which is very low in the UK compared with our European neighbours.”

“Moving to a four-day week would be transformative for wellbeing and would give us all the time to live happier and more fulfilled lives,” Mr Ryle said.

Source: Big Issue

(Quotes via original reporting)