Four day week warning issued to English local councils by government

The Secretary for Local Government has issued a formal warning to councils across England about the adoption of a four day working week for local authority staff. The government has expressed concern that such a move risks authorities being labelled as failing if employees work reduced hours for full time pay without compelling justification.

Steve Reed, the Secretary for Local Government, addressed his caution directly to council leaders. In his correspondence, he advised that current guidance on the four day week remains in force and emphasised that any move towards part time work for full time pay could be considered symptomatic of failure. He stated that this would be assessed as one factor among many in determining the effectiveness and efficiency of local councils.

Twenty five councils have reportedly debated the four day week policy with South Cambridgeshire District Council already having adopted it. Under current legislation, local authorities retain the autonomy to set their employment policies; however, the central government holds the authority to intervene should a council be deemed as failing in its statutory obligations or performance.

Earlier this year, Reed wrote to South Cambridgeshire informing the council that its performance indicators such as rent collection rates and responsiveness to repairs had reportedly deteriorated since implementing the four day week. Bridget Smith, the Liberal Democrat leader of South Cambridgeshire District Council, described the government’s criticism as disappointing and defended the council’s record as exceptionally high performing.

Proponents of the four day week, such as the 4 Day Week Foundation, maintain that the conventional five day working week no longer aligns with modern economic realities. They argue British full time employees work some of the longest hours in Europe yet productivity remains comparatively low. The foundation asserts that a 32 hour week, without a reduction in pay, could yield greater efficiency and lower costs for local government.

The current best value guidance for assessing local authority performance, last issued in 2024, is now undergoing revision by the Labour government. The Department for Local Government intends to release further policy clarification in future updates to this guidance.