The Conservative Party has vowed to outlaw the practice of local authorities offering four-day working weeks on full pay should they win the next general election.
Shadow Communities Secretary James Cleverly reportedly spearheaded the stance, arguing that taxpayers ‘should not be paying full rates for part-time services.’
The party amplified this position on social media, labeling the practice an ‘unfair taxpayer-funded rip-off’ compared to the schedules of the wider workforce.
Some local authorities view the model as a vital tool for tackling the sector's recruitment and retention crisis.
South Cambridgeshire District Council reported that its 2023 trial saved nearly £400,000 in agency staffing costs. Performance metrics from the trial showed that 21 out of 24 monitored services either improved or maintained their standards.
Cllr Bridget Smith, leader of South Cambridgeshire District Council, commented: 'To call for a ban on a proven success is to declare that the Tory party prefers local government to be expensive and perpetually under staffed rather than modern and effective.'
