Further to our previous article in relation to the campaign for a 4 day working week, the sociologist, Professor Heejung Chung, has argued that Government should actively support the campaign on account of the wider societal benefits of a shorter working week
4 Day Working Week
As we highlighted in our recent aforementioned article, a 6 month trial was recently launched by the campaign group, 4 Day Week Global, which is being run in conjunction with Oxford and Cambridge academics and others. 60 companies comprising of over 3000 employees are involved in the trial.
Under the 6 month trial, employees of the participating employers will be working a 4 day working week without the loss of any pay. The aim is to determine whether the 4 day working week yields an increase in productivity, as well as improvements in health, wellbeing, work life balance, and staff retention.
The trial is the largest ever of its type, the previous biggest being one conducted in Iceland involving 2500 workers.
The Scottish Government will also be conducting a £10 million pilot scheme in order to trial a 4 day working week, with Spain already having launched its own 3 year trial in early 2021
A  poll carried out by Survation found that 64% of people in the UK were in favour of a 4 day working week, with only 13% against.
Call For Government Backing
In an article called 'A Social Policy Case for a Four-Day Week', Professor Heejung Chung argues that a shorter working week, such as the suggested 4 day working week advocated by many campaigners, would have many wider benefits for society on top of those for businesses and their workers, and that given that, the Government should be actively looking to support and promote a 4 day working week.
Professor Chung also contends that the issue is too important just to leave to employers, and that without a Government led national move to a 4 day working week, a change in attitudes and approach amongst business, where a long hours culture currently predominates, may not happen
A 4 day working week would have many wider benefits for society, Professor Chung argues, including:-
- Clamping down upon the long hours culture would reduce the number of women and part-time workers being pushed out of the labour market, thereby reducing social inequality
- Enhancing access to the labour market for those with responsibilities outside of work, such as carers
- Allowing people to spend more time on outside interests and on recreational activities, thereby improving work / life balance, health, and personal wellbeing
- Enhancing the status of and value placed by society on voluntary work
- Improving family wellbeing in terms of increasing the time parents can spend supporting their children, and their childrens development
- Increasing social cohesion, as a move away from the long hours culture would eliminate the stigma surrounding flexible working and unemployment
Professor Chung contends that "at the heart of the four-day-week is a move away from using long working hours as a measure of commitment, motivation and productivity of workers and the view that working shorter hours can increase productivity and efficiency. Such changes can help dismantle the stigmatised views against workers who have previously been penalised (only) because they were unable to perform long working hours – this includes those who work part-time, flexibly, or any workers that balance work with other responsibilities outside of work."
Moreover, Professor Chung adds: "State intervention can provide a nudge for companies to value workers’ time, and think about what a more efficient use of it is. We have seen some success of such an approach in France, Portugal, and more recently in Korea....A national move to a four-day-week also needs a review of other existing laws and policies to facilitate its intended outcomes. This includes a review of the minimum and living wage to ensure that shorter working does not lead to further income insecurity."
