Latest news with #workLifeBalance
Times
07-07-2025
- Business
- Times
Paternity leave: two weeks not enough to support families
I'm blessed to have just become a father again. If you have kids, you'll know it's a time filled with joy, as well as sleepless nights. But it's also brought home to me the significant problems we have in the UK with paternity leave and, in turn, the growing issue they pose for government has announced a full review of parental leave to better support families and their children. This is welcome, if overdue, news. Overdue because the creaking system is damaging companies just as much as it disadvantages mums and is a challenger business and I know how disruptive it can feel to 'lose' a team member to parental leave, especially when you're a lean organisation. But we all need to realise that the status quo is more the birth of our second child, for example, my wife wasn't allowed to do tasks like driving, or carrying our first child, for months. So, like many dads, I may be back to work but one foot is still firmly planted at home. Two weeks paternity leave is simply not enough to support your partner and baby. When parents are forced to return to work before they're ready, they're under unfair pressure. No wonder that some step back from their roles or opt out of work altogether. And then there's the gender imbalance. Men are expected to return to work quickly and women, or primary caregivers, are left holding the baby. I have had too many brilliant female friends feeling that their career is simply no longer an option once they have kids. For brands, that means less diversity of voices and experiences in the workplace. It's a only it were as simple as individual companies changing their policies. Big corporates with deep pockets might offer enhanced leave, but the reality is that many smaller businesses can't afford to do the same. Yes, Dash offers dads a better paternity leave than the minimum, but the minimum is too low a bar. It's clear to me, now a dad of two, that businesses need better statutory of the recent 'Dad strikes', where fathers took to the streets in the UK to highlight paternity leave issues, call for at least six weeks of leave at full or near full pay. That would give families a window to adjust and would give businesses a better chance of retaining talent, maintaining diversity and properly supporting families.A report by the Centre for Progressive Policy estimates that reforming leave in this way could unlock nearly £2.7 billion for the UK economy. So businesses, which can claim back the majority of statutory pay over two weeks, should have the same rights if it's extended to six. That may be a cost, but it also represents a saving. The government's review will have a huge amount to deal with. The women and equalities committee of MPs published an assessment a few weeks ago showing that the UK's rate of statutory parental pay is 'completely out of kilter' with the cost of living. The legal minimum maternity pay itself falls off a cliff after just six weeks, leaving parents struggling. The huge cost of childcare, too, means it's often more expensive for a parent to return to work than to stay at home. Shared parental leave is so difficult to navigate that it puts many eligible parents off. At Dash we hired a team of lawyers to draft our shared parental leave policy. A few weeks later we had to bring them back in to tell us what it actually small, incremental steps still represent progress. And a change in legislation could drive a much-needed change in culture: for dads who still feel that taking extended leave might damage their career prospects or burden their colleagues; or those who simply don't feel it's the done thing. We need to break down these parental leave is a structural inequality with consequences for businesses on top of the immediate pain for families. The Trades Union Congress reports that over half of new parents in the UK face financial hardship during paternity leave and one in five fathers don't take it at all. We need urgent progress to help mums and dads. I'm in no doubt that this same change, if properly managed, would be a boon for parents' places of work as well.I don't think you'll find many people who'd disagree with this: when employees feel supported in their family life, they're more likely to stay loyal, perform better and build longer careers with you. As a nation we should look to level the playing field for families and businesses when it comes to parental leave. Now the government has a chance to start making this a Wright is co-founder and chief executive of Dash Water, a £35 million-turnover healthy soft drink brand sold across 25 countries
Yahoo
05-07-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
People who work four days a week are actually getting more done, experts say
You're probably reading this at the start of your weekend. But now imagine that weekend had started a day earlier... and did so every week. Sound good? That could be the new reality many companies, and employees, face in the future, after the four-day business week took another step towards implementation in the UK. This year, 17 businesses of different types have been trialling the move, organised by the 4 Day Week Foundation. Almost 1,000 different employees were involved, all retaining their normal salary - and after the culmination of that study, all 17 companies have opted to keep going, following an earlier trial which saw 5,000 people adopt the scheme permanently. Not all are doing straight four-day weeks. Some were trialling nine-day fortnights. And there are clearly some industries which would face challenges to alter schedules and regulations. But the initial results for those taking part appeared positive, with nearly two-thirds (62 per cent) of employees saying they noted a 'reduction in how often they experienced burnout'. Firms who took part in the trial have cited customer satisfaction and employee performance as reasons for continuing, with one expecting mass adoption across the next decade. Vicky Walker, chief people officer at Westfield Health, told The Independent that less work has shown to mean more output. 'Studies have shown that a shorter work week can lead to enhanced efficiency and focus among employees. People may be more motivated to complete their tasks and increase productivity. There's now a growing recognition for flexibility and work-life balance and this trial is a step in the right direction,' Ms Walker said. 'These flexible benefits can also help attract new talent and improve employee retention rates, which for some businesses, is a key business target.' There is, however, much more to consider for employers and the wider economy, before we see it adopted on a larger scale. 'Ultimately, what matters for the economy is hours worked multiplied by productivity per hour. If people are simply working their weekly hours in four days rather than five, then there should be little economic impact. If they are working harder - fewer hours for the same output - then we could see an uptick in productivity, but that wouldn't necessarily translate into growth because of fewer hours,' Thomas Pugh, chief economist at RSM UK, told The Independent. This is essentially the French model of the system, Mr Pugh explained - but success in it will naturally lead to businesses asking one pertinent question: 'If you can be as productive in four days as in five, then why not be as productive over the full five days?' There also remain questions over the potential for staggered days off - 'Do people want Wednesdays off, for example?' - and of course whether a firm's opening hours would still match up to those of their clients. It's not a 'solution to the UK's economic problems', Mr Pugh added. Andrew Timpson, a tax partner at RSM, pointed out there would be implications if reduced hours meant reduced pay - and not just for the Treasury. 'If base pay is reduced, there could be an impact on salary sacrifice and pensions,' he said, 'plus if employees are earning less then the tax take will reduce. Some employees may also find themselves slipping under thresholds which will change the personal allowance, or other aspects such as child benefit.' The discussion outside of finance has also taken centre stage. A study by BHN Extras recently concluded over a third of UK workers (34 per cent) said they would accept a pay cut for a shorter commute and only 23 per cent enjoyed their commute. The survey suggested both the cost and the sentiment was stronger in London, but would knocking a day off the commute into work be a big draw for all? It won't be one for everybody, nor every business. Implementation costs and rescheduling alone may make it prohibitive, while there's no doubt that some management may not appreciate the thought of it, let alone the reality. But just like working from home, hot-desking and zero-hours contracts before it, the four-day week looks set to play some part in the future of UK business - and like all those others, divide plenty of opinion on the way. Error while retrieving data Sign in to access your portfolio Error while retrieving data Error while retrieving data Error while retrieving data Error while retrieving data
The Independent
05-07-2025
- Business
- The Independent
People who work four days a week are actually getting more done, experts say
You're probably reading this at the start of your weekend. But now imagine that weekend had started a day earlier... and did so every week. Sound good? That could be the new reality many companies, and employees, face in the future, after the four-day business week took another step towards implementation in the UK. This year, 17 businesses of different types have been trialling the move, organised by the 4 Day Week Foundation. Almost 1,000 different employees were involved, all retaining their normal salary - and after the culmination of that study, all 17 companies have opted to keep going, following an earlier trial which saw 5,000 people adopt the scheme permanently. Not all are doing straight four-day weeks. Some were trialling nine-day fortnights. And there are clearly some industries which would face challenges to alter schedules and regulations. But the initial results for those taking part appeared positive, with nearly two-thirds (62 per cent) of employees saying they noted a 'reduction in how often they experienced burnout'. Firms who took part in the trial have cited customer satisfaction and employee performance as reasons for continuing, with one expecting mass adoption across the next decade. Vicky Walker, chief people officer at Westfield Health, told The Independent that less work has shown to mean more output. 'Studies have shown that a shorter work week can lead to enhanced efficiency and focus among employees. People may be more motivated to complete their tasks and increase productivity. There's now a growing recognition for flexibility and work-life balance and this trial is a step in the right direction,' Ms Walker said. 'These flexible benefits can also help attract new talent and improve employee retention rates, which for some businesses, is a key business target.' There is, however, much more to consider for employers and the wider economy, before we see it adopted on a larger scale. 'Ultimately, what matters for the economy is hours worked multiplied by productivity per hour. If people are simply working their weekly hours in four days rather than five, then there should be little economic impact. If they are working harder - fewer hours for the same output - then we could see an uptick in productivity, but that wouldn't necessarily translate into growth because of fewer hours,' Thomas Pugh, chief economist at RSM UK, told The Independent. This is essentially the French model of the system, Mr Pugh explained - but success in it will naturally lead to businesses asking one pertinent question: 'If you can be as productive in four days as in five, then why not be as productive over the full five days?' There also remain questions over the potential for staggered days off - 'Do people want Wednesdays off, for example?' - and of course whether a firm's opening hours would still match up to those of their clients. It's not a 'solution to the UK's economic problems', Mr Pugh added. Andrew Timpson, a tax partner at RSM, pointed out there would be implications if reduced hours meant reduced pay - and not just for the Treasury. 'If base pay is reduced, there could be an impact on salary sacrifice and pensions,' he said, 'plus if employees are earning less then the tax take will reduce. Some employees may also find themselves slipping under thresholds which will change the personal allowance, or other aspects such as child benefit.' The discussion outside of finance has also taken centre stage. A study by BHN Extras recently concluded over a third of UK workers (34 per cent) said they would accept a pay cut for a shorter commute and only 23 per cent enjoyed their commute. The survey suggested both the cost and the sentiment was stronger in London, but would knocking a day off the commute into work be a big draw for all? It won't be one for everybody, nor every business. Implementation costs and rescheduling alone may make it prohibitive, while there's no doubt that some management may not appreciate the thought of it, let alone the reality. But just like working from home, hot-desking and zero-hours contracts before it, the four-day week looks set to play some part in the future of UK business - and like all those others, divide plenty of opinion on the way.
Times
04-07-2025
- Politics
- Times
Four-day week for council workers sets a disastrous example
South Cambridgeshire District Council insists that the four-day week trial has been a great success CHRIS RADBURN FOR THE TIMES Paying people to work less for the same salary is, not surprisingly, popular. South Cambridgeshire District Council, which since 2023 has given staff the option of working a four-day week, insists that the trial has been a great success: staff turnover has gone down and job applications are up. So pleased is the authority's Liberal Democrat leader with the trial, which she claims has saved £400,000 a year, that she proposes to make the arrangement permanent. The Conservative opposition is appalled. The results, it says, have been manipulated, key council services have suffered and voters are outraged. Little wonder. The experiment, which mirrors trials put in place by several private companies after the Covid pandemic, is based on a wholly misleading premise: that employees will be so motivated by the promise of extra leisure that they will work with increased intensity and efficiency, accomplishing in four days what was previously done in five. That may hold true for a few weeks or even years. But if such efficiencies can be achieved, why can the same savings and improvements not also be made during a five-day week? And will employees keep up the intensive pace or slip back to the normal routines of most jobs? Carrying out some tasks in less time may indeed become easier with the use of robots and artificial intelligence. But that could take years to percolate down to daily administration. What of bin collections or manning consumer contact centres — already one of the most infuriatingly neglected aspects of councils, where replacing humans with voice recordings defeats the whole purpose? Surveys of the Cambridgeshire experiment found plenty of consumer dissatisfaction in these areas as well as a dip in rent collection, delays in re-letting housing and lower tenant satisfaction. • First council set to adopt permanent four-day week Well-meaning proposals for a better work-life balance, or attempts to solve unemployment by cutting overtime, have usually foundered. France limited employment to 35 hours a week; it turned out to be a disastrous flop. Jobs could not be finished, overtime was not allowed and everyone complained. The law was watered down. But while flexible working time and especially provision for part-time jobs to bring more people into the workforce are sensible, the argument that a shorter working week will lead to greater productivity seems perverse. It is also hardly the example needed at a time when Britain is desperately attempting to raise its poor and uncompetitive productivity level. A few jobs can be accomplished in short bursts of intense activity; most cannot. If the South Cambridgeshire model is used as a template across the country, workers in other sectors where a four-day week is impossible will demand compensation. Any rise in job satisfaction is welcome and economically helpful, as is job retention. But Germany, where Friday is now virtually written off as a working day, has seen a major slide in productivity. No local authority in Britain and certainly not the entire nation can afford that now.
The Independent
04-07-2025
- Politics
- The Independent
Council could become first to permanently adopt four-day working week
A council trialling a four-day working week has reported improvements across multiple services, according to independent research. Since the start of 2023, South Cambridgeshire District Council has been trialling a four-day working week where staff complete all of their work for full pay in an effort to hire and keep more staff. Twenty-one out of 24 council services have either improved or stayed the same since the trial began, according to the report which was compiled by university researchers. The council said the improved services ranged from repairs to the time it takes to update benefit and tax support claims. 'There is now more consistency through lower staff turnover and improved health and wellbeing,' the Leader of South Cambridgeshire District Council, Councillor Bridget Smith said. As well as filling staffing gaps, the trial saved nearly £400,000 a year by cutting down agency staffing, the Liberal Democrat-led council said. 'This is saving hundreds of thousands of pounds for Council taxpayers, not only because we've filled posts with our own staff, but by reducing our recruitment costs,' said South Cambridgeshire District Council's Lead Cabinet Member for Resources, Councillor John Williams. 'It's now for all District Councillors to weigh up all the evidence and decide how we should proceed.' The report findings come after the council had received two government notices over concerns of its trial of a four-day week. The most recent notice expired in November and was not renewed by the Labour government. However Conservative opposition councillors have raised concerns that residents remain unsatisfied 'I want to assure residents that we have heard you loud and clear and agree with the overwhelming 77 percent residents and 88 percent of businesses who did not support the 4 day week,' leader of the council's Conservative group Heather Williams posted on X. 'Conservatives will do all we can to STOP this madness.' The council's Scrutiny and Overview Committee will review the report on 14 July, with a final decision to be made by full council three days later.
