Four Days of Work, Five Days of Stress? The Controversial Four-Day Week Trial at South Cambridgeshire District Council

Is it possible to fit five days’ worth of work into just four? South Cambridgeshire District Council (SCDC) began a four-day work week three years ago, claiming significant benefits such as nearly £400,000 saved, improved staff retention, and boosted job satisfaction. Yet this bold experiment remains hotly contested.

Residents, like Martin Swales and Stephen Mansfield, question the logic of reducing hours while maintaining salaries, arguing that it leads to reduced services without a corresponding decrease in costs. Critics are especially vocal about concerns that council services like maintenance and planning could suffer. Local Government Secretary Steve Reed has expressed disapproval, suggesting other councils should be wary of adopting similar policies.

Conversely, council leader Bridget Smith defends the move, citing a 41% drop in staff turnover and a 123% increase in job applicants, along with external studies indicating improvement in service delivery metrics for the council. For instance, call responses from the contact center increased by 7%, and on-time resolutions of complaints grew significantly from 65% to over 85% in just a year.

The four-day week, initiated in January 2023 as a pilot, required employees to complete the same workload in 80% of normal hours with no salary cut. This innovative scheduling even attracted attention from human resource experts, who noted that it encouraged staff to cut unproductive activities and streamline work processes.

However, while some staff praise the policy as a ”game changer” for their health and work-life balance, unsatisfied residents point to slow responses for housing repairs and issues in tenant satisfaction, cautiously stating that service quality appears to be declining. The government’s scrutiny accentuated such issues, highlighting instances where repairs took unnecessarily long, raising red flags about potential council inefficiencies.

Despite mixed public opinions and governmental pressure, SCDC remains steadfast in its commitment to the four-day workweek. The policy’s long-term effects on council workings, staff morale, and community satisfaction continue to unfold—raising the intriguing question: Can a council truly achieve its goals with fewer working days?