Could a 4-day working week be a lifeline to save Britain's high streets?

A six-month pilot was launched across the UK last week, with staff at 30 companies cutting their hours with no loss in pay.

During the pandemic economic researchers claimed a three-day weekend would boost high street sales by an estimated £58billion.

Campaigners say the longer weekend would give shoppers not only more time to buy, eat out and socialise, but also increase spending related to hobbies such as gardening and DIY.

They claim it is a “win-win scenario” for workers and employers.

But opponents believe the idea would cripple many firms.

A four-day week could become a hot issue at the next general election, despite a lukewarm response when championed by former Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn.

The UK pilot is running in conjunction with similar programmes in the US, Ireland, Canada, Australia and New Zealand. Spain has also launched a separate trial.

Organisers say numerous studies have shown the four-day week boosts productivity and workers’ mental and physical health. When Microsoft trialled it in Japan, productivity went up 40 percent.

Not surprisingly research suggests most UK workers embrace the idea: three quarters even before the pandemic hit. And a poll by the 4 Day Week Campaign shows support has grown since.

Last November Atom Bank moved its 430 staff to a four-day, 34-hour week with no reduction in pay.

Supermarket Morrisons has begun a similar move and five-star hotel The Landmark London has launched a scheme to allow its chefs to work a day less with increased pay as part of a commitment to invest in team wellbeing.

Last summer a group of cross-party MPs, academics and economists wrote to Chancellor Rishi Sunak urging the Government to consider shorter working times, including a four-day week, as a way out of the pandemic. That was followed by an Early Day Motion tabled in Parliament, but there was a glaring lack of support from Conservative MPs.

The six-month trial is organised by 4 Day Week Global in partnership with the think tank Autonomy, the 4 Day Week UK Campaign, researchers at Oxford and Cambridge, and Boston College.

The campaign’s preferred option is for a four-day, 30-hour week with no pay cut.

Joe O’Connor, of 4 Day Week Global, said: “The four-day week challenges the current model of work and helps companies move away from simply measuring how long people are ‘at work’, to a sharper focus on output.We believe 2022 will be the year that heralds in this bold new future of work.”

Opponents say organisations such as the NHS cannot close for a three-day weekend. And they dismiss the idea as a “panacea” for the high street, as the popularity of online shopping is unlikely to fade. Instead they advocate reforming business rates, encouraging investment and focusing on skills.

Last night Andrew Goodacre, chief executive of the British Independent Retailers Association, called it “an interesting concept”.

He said: “In the past, extra leisure time has been good for some high streets – bank holidays are a good example.

“However, if every week had a bank holiday, the previous positive impact may diminish over time.

“It would also mean taking away office workers from the larger cities, places already under stress with people working from home.”

He added: “With flexible working, a four-day working week should help retail, but only if retail grabs the opportunity. If not, the internet will be the big winner as it is open 24/7.”

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YES

Joe Ryle

MOVING to a four-day week with no reduction in pay is a win-win scenario for workers and employers.

Here in the UK we work the longest full-time hours compared to any country in the EU, except for Greece, while having the least-productive economy in comparison.

As many of the four-day week companies we have accredited have found, employees can get the same amount of work done in four days, instead of five.To put it succinctly, a rested worker is a better worker.

Of course there’s a bigger conversation to be had for the retail industry.

We’re not calling for retailers to only open shops four days a week, so some thinking needs to go into how the reduction in working hours can be implemented for store workers, because this needs to work for the whole economy, not just office-based jobs.

Let’s remember though, that the move to a four-day week is about much more than greater productivity and better sales.

Increased leisure time is what we all need, to live more fulfilled and happier lives. And we all deserve the time to enjoy more of life.

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NO

Gerard Lyons

A FOUR-day week isn’t good for business. It would lead to more expensive public services and it won’t save our high streets.

Nevertheless, the idea of a mandatory four-day week is gaining traction.

In November 2021, Scotland announced a £10million pilot and Belfast city council said it is considering it. It was also in Jeremy Corbyn’s 2019 Labour Manifesto.

However, the idea of forcing employers to pay the same for less work would cripple many firms. And it isn’t clear it would boost productivity in a service sector economy like the UK, or public services like the NHS.

For the high street, a four-day week is nothing like a panacea.The popularity of online shopping, the high street’s main challenge, isn’t going anywhere.

And there are better policy options – reforming business rates, encouraging investment and focusing on skills.

Cutting the working week to improve productivity is the wrong way round.

To help our high streets we should be encouraging other ideas, not endorsing ones that don’t help it or anyone else.