When Keir Starmer became Prime Minister in July, he, like every other politician before him, promised to deliver change. But after last week’s announcement that the autumn budget will be ‘painful’, with billions of cuts to education and health, and the rumour that the Labour Party will ban drunk cigs outside of beer gardens and nightclubs, many question when that change is coming. Life in the UK is already painful, and he is arguably trying to make it worse. 

However, last night (August 29), it was announced that we may be given new rights to demand a four-day work week under new laws being considered by Labour as part of their latest package for workers, which is expected to be announced in autumn. So much of our lives are concentrated around work, with many of us seeing our co-workers more than our actual families. A four-day week could potentially revolutionise our work-life balance, offering more time for personal pursuits and family. But what does a four-day week really look like in the UK, and is there a catch? 

WHAT WOULD THIS FOUR-DAY WEEK LOOK LIKE? 

The four-day work week will grant workers the ability to request undertaking their normal working hours over a four-day period. While campaigns such as the Four-Day Week have been advocating for a reduction of work with no loss of pay, Labour is proposing a system of “compressed hours,” which does not reduce hours. 

Instead, if your employer allows, you can complete your five-day work week between Monday and Thursday, which may involve starting work earlier and finishing later.

WHAT ELSE IS INCLUDED IN THE NEW PACKAGE OF RIGHTS FOR WORKERS?

The new package of rights for workers includes free office health checks to prevent heart attacks and strokes, and companies will be legally obliged to offer flexible working from day one except where it is not reasonably feasible. Working from home has been a reality for many of us since the COVID-19 pandemic, but companies have no legal obligation to agree to it. This new law would change that.

HAS THERE BEEN BACKLASH? 

Tory MPs are worried that the four-day week will reduce productivity and harm businesses. However, numerous studies have shown that flexible work and the four-day work week boost productivity. Back in 2019, Microsoft Japan introduced a four-day working week and reported a 40 per cent boost in productivity. Working less improves one’s physical and mental well-being, which helps workers be happier and more focused.  

WHAT'S THE CATCH? 

A four-day week aims to improve one’s quality of life and work-life balance, but it’s unclear how the “compressed hours” system is meant to do that when our everyday labour will not actually be reduced. Earlier this year, Morrisons and Asda tried four-day weeks that followed the system of compressed hours, and both supermarkets scrapped the initiative as staff complained that the longer shifts were too demanding.

We know that the compressed hours system does not work. What we really need is reduced hours without a reduction in pay – without it, this new policy means very little.