The amendment to the new four-day work week is tabled by MPs

In the Employment Rights Bill, more than a dozen members of parliament are calling for ministers to take into consideration a four-day work week.

Peter Dowd (Labour MP for Bootle) proposed an amendment to the Bill that would require the government to create a new Working Time Council and provide recommendations as to how the UK can transition from a 5-day work week.

Dowd said that the UK must get ahead of the curve. He told the Mirror that the benefits of increased productivity in the economy due to new technologies such as artificial intelligent must be returned to the workers as more leisure time.

“A four-day 32-hour work week is the future and I urge my political party to support this amendment so that we can start a wider transition.”

Maya Ellis said, Labour MP Maya Ellis for Ribble valley: “I hope that our government will be courageous enough to make the first step now in what I think will be the norm one day.”

The Working Time Council will provide advice and recommendations on how to transition from a 5-day work week to a 4-day work week without affecting pay. This includes how this transition would impact employers and employees and how businesses, government bodies, and other organisations would approach such a change.

The business and trade secretary would appoint members within six months after the Bill becomes an Act. They would include representatives of businesses, trade unions and government, as well as employment experts.

Kim Johnson, Rachael Masall, Ian Byrne and Paula Barker are also Labour MPs who support the amendment, as is Ellie Chowns of the Green Party.

According to the campaign group 4 Day Week Foundation, 200 UK companies with over 5,000 employees have committed to a permanent 4-day work week.

The PCS union stated in November that the Government could save around PS21,000,000 a year by allowing civil servants to be paid the same salary for four days of work a week.

The union claims that the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs would be able to hire 2,345 extra people due to a 57% reduction in staff turnover, and also reduce sick leave, which is currently 4.3 days on average, to just 1.5 days a year, the equivalent to gaining 328 new employees.

Joe Ryle, Director of the 4 Day Week Foundation said: “Compressing hours into four instead of five days is not the equivalent of a four-day work week. The Bill does not include a commitment to exploring a truly shorter work week, which workers want.

As hundreds of British businesses and one local authority have already demonstrated, a four day week without any loss of pay is a win for both employees and employers.

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