The future of South Cambridgeshire District Council's trial of a four-day workweek hangs in the balance as the local government minister, Lee Rowley, has formally requested the council to end the experiment "immediately."
Rowley expressed concerns about the trial's value for money and potential breach of legal duties in a letter to council leader Bridget Smith. The council, led by the Liberal Democrats, is the first in the UK to trial the system.
Defending the scheme, Smith emphasised that the four-day week had helped address the council's reliance on expensive agency staff. She cited an assessment showing that performance was maintained and expressed surprise at the minister's request. Smith has requested a meeting with ministers to discuss the matter further.
South Cambridgeshire District Council began the pilot in January, involving the 450 desk-based staff at its Cambourne office and was scheduled to run until March 2024.
In his letter, Lee Rowley expressed his belief in councils' ability to innovate but argued that reducing capacity by up to 20% through the four-day week was unacceptable for a council aiming to demonstrate value for money. He noted that while the private sector may choose to experiment with the concept, local government should not follow suit. Rowley added that such an approach could potentially breach the council's legal duties under the Local Government Act.
Council leader Bridget Smith highlighted the positive impact of the trial, stating that during the first three months, the council filled four previously difficult-to-fill permanent positions, resulting in a £300,000 reduction in the annual agency bill. She also mentioned the positive effect on recruitment, with increased quality and quantity of applicants for vacant posts.
Joe Ryle, director of the 4-Day Week campaign group, criticised Lee Rowley's request, stating that it went against the evidence showing the success of the four-day week at the council. Ryle argued that since the private sector was already implementing the concept with no loss of pay, it was only fair for the public sector to adopt it as well.
He stated:
"There is no good reason to end this trial, which is already bringing many benefits to council workers, local residents and saving the council money."
