Further to our recent article on the fact that the Government have issued guidance against the adoption of a four-day working week by local authorities, the Public and Commercial Services Union (PCS) have now delivered a petition on behalf of staff working within the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Defra) for a four-day working week pilot.
The Government's Perspective
Only last month, the Government conveyed that there was now an "expectation" that civil servants in office-based roles "will spend a minimum of 60% of their working time working face to face with their colleagues either in offices or on official business, rather than at home." In response to this call, however, a survey conducted by the PCS of their members found that 39.43% stated that they were prepared to quit if this demand was implemented.
Job Cuts
Nevertheless, the Government announced plans in the Autumn Statement to reduce the size of the Civil Service by 66,000 to Pre-COVID-19 pandemic levels by March 2025, a measure that it says would save £1bn over the coming year alone. Moreover, the Daily Express report that: "Around 10,000 equality and diversity jobs are expected to go under the new plan", with the Chancellor of the Exchequer, Jeremy Hunt, stating: "Smashing glass ceilings is everyone’s job, not a box to be ticked by hiring a diversity manager."
In response to the announcement, the chief executive Âof the TaxPayers’ Alliance, John O’Connell, stated: "Freezing Whitehall expansion is a step in the right direction. The mandarin jobs boom is one of the key drivers of the cost of government crisis that is hammering taxpayers. With the size of the civil service frozen, the chancellor should now look to find savings by winding down unnecessary roles."
Efficiency
This perception within Government that the civil service has grown too big and that there are now too many "unnecessary roles", adds to other concerns within Government about alleged public sector inefficiency. This includes concerns about the productivity gap between the public sector and the private sector, concerns that go back many years. There are also concerns about the long-standing and growing gap in sickness absence rates between the public and private sectors (with the Office for National Statistics (ONS) finding in 2022 that the sickness absence rate for public sector workers had increased to 3.6%, compared to 2.3% for private sector workers).
Value For Money
In sum, therefore, the concern within Government is whether the taxpayer is getting value for money in relation to public services.
Guidance To Local Authorities
It was this overall concern about value for money for the taxpayer that led the Government to issue the guidance that it did against the adoption of a four-day working week by local authorities. The Government stated: "The government does not support a 4-day working week in local authorities, as it does not believe that it delivers local taxpayers’ value for money….Councils which are undertaking 4-day working week activities should cease immediately and others should not seek to pursue in any format. Value for local taxpayers is paramount and no further focus should be given by local authorities on this matter."
Hence, given the Government's attitude against a four-day working week for local authorities, it would appear unlikely that it will authorise a pilot on a four-day working week for civil servants. Indeed, a representative from Defra stated: "There are no plans for this. Value-for-money should be provided to the taxpayer."
A Four-Day Working Week In The Public Sector
Nevertheless, whilst the Government are opposed to a four-day working week for some sectors, for the reasons set out above, the general secretary of the PCS, Mark Sertwotka, contends: "Evidence suggests a four-day working week would lead to a better work-life balance for staff and could improve productivity for the employer. Previous trials have led to a reduction in sick leave and improvements to staff retention and satisfaction."
Warrants A Trial At The Least Argue 4 Day Week Campaign
Moreover, the Campaign Director of the 4 Day Week Campaign, Joe Ryle, argues that: "A four-day working week with no loss of pay improves both productivity and the wellbeing of workers. It’s been tested time and time again with great success in the private sector so it’s only right and fair to see if these benefits can apply to public sector workers."
That is, until you put the issue of a four-day working week to the test within the public sector and at least try it, you are never going to know.
South Cambridgeshire District Council
Furthermore, one public sector body that is currently conducting a trial of a four-day working week within the public sector is South Cambridgeshire District Council, whose trial is due to run until March 2024.
Commenting upon the results of the trial this far, the Leader of the Council, Cllr Bridget Smith, stated: "Our initial three-month trial saw performance generally maintained, and in some cases improved – with not a single area falling to a concerning level. There was strong evidence it was helping us fill hard to recruit posts and improving retention, so we extended the trial to test that over a longer period. Since January, our sickness rates have fallen by a third, staff turnover has reduced by 36%, and complaints about services involved in the trial are down too."
