Companies reject Labour's idea to implement four-day working week

During the ITV election debate (19/11/2019), Jeremy Corbyn reaffirmed his plans to implement a four-day working week under a Labour government which was met with laughter from the audience and scepticism from businesses.

Quinyx, a cloud based management software company thinks a four-day working week is “impractical and not conducive to creating a happy and productive workforce in modern 24 hours Britain, as it excludes the country’s vitally important shift workers.”

In October 2019, HRreview conducted its own poll to ask if a four-day week was viable, with 65 per cent of people saying it is not.

A fifth said it is possible but it could only be implemented after five years.

The poll also showed 5 per cent believes a four-day week would be doable in the next year, 6 per cent said it will be doable in 1-3 years, and 5 per cent in 3-5 years.

Quinyx data shows:

  • Only 10 per cent of the UK’s shift workers say a four-day working week is a type of flexibility that would suit them best
  • 20 per cent would rather be able to pick the shifts they want, the most popular answer
  • 16 per cent would rather be able to swap shifts at short notice, and a further 12 per cent would rather work part time

 

Erik Fjellborg, CEO & founder of Quinyx said:

While it’s great to see flexible working be brought into the spotlight during this election race, a four day working week only really benefits those that work in white-collar office jobs, with set schedules. It’s an impractical type of flexible working for the UK’s vitally important shift workers, who keep Britain working on a 24 hour cycle.

At Quinyx we believe that flexibility should be for everyone – and that applies whether you call a boardroom or a shop floor your office. It’s only by providing all workers with the ability to choose a schedule that’s right for them that we will truly unlock the benefits of a happy, productive and engaged workforce.

Quinyx believes if it does not embrace flexible working it could lose out on £12 billion a year by 2023 unless flexible working is embraced.

The poll had 123 HR professionals vote in it.

Darius McQuaid

Darius is the editor of HRreview. He has previously worked as a finance reporter for the Daily Express. He studied his journalism masters at Press Association Training and graduated from the University of York with a degree in History.