Four-Day Week Trial receives Intense Media Coverage

South Cambridgeshire District Council is the first UK local authority to trial the four-day week for its desk based staff. Following the success of the three-month trial, it is now considering extending the trial for a further year. In addition, it is considering introducing a three month trial of the four-day week to its Shared Waste Service staff. Not surprisingly this topic has garnered a lot of public interest and intense media coverage.

The Good coverage

Local and main stream media have shown considerable interest in this four-day week trial results. Some have been fair in their reporting, and others (usual one) have been negative. These are some of the good ones.

The Not-so-good Coverage

Not surprisingly, the Conservative South Cambridgeshire MP has been spreading misinformation about the four-day week trial. This time, stooping so low as to personally attack a Senior officer who he knows does not have a right of public reply. And in the Daily Fail. But that is his way of operation. He seems to have convinced a well known if not well liked MP to speak out against the trial. What a dirty tricks campaign! Anyone would be forgiven for thinking there is an election on the horizon.

But this time, it is so bad that even his own party colleagues, the South Cambridgeshire Conservative Councillor group found it necessary to publicly distance themselves from his action. They consider the officer to be exceptional, and that the negative stuff he is spreading is not fair. Don’t believe me – listen to the recording of the Employment and Staffing Committee meeting that took place this afternoon. The pertinent section is from 21 minutes into the meeting.

People in positions of political power like the Members of Parliament have a particular duty and responsibility to serve their constituents positively, truthfully not use them as their own personal political tools. One would expect such people to investigate allegations properly, talk to those who are involved before twisting facts and spreading misinformation.

Staff Continuous Professional Development

The fact is it is completely normal for local government staff to undertake post graduate qualifications as part of their professional development. These often involve workplace subjects or projects being part of a dissertation or thesis, which benefits Councils and local residents. We especially encourage and sponsor planners to do this too, which is of significant benefit to the Service as whole and our residents in particular. The Council is currently funding four staff members undertaking post graduate study. The particular staff under attack started her study in 2020 and is self funding, doing the work in her own time

As I stated in a previous post, the Council Leader was asked at a Local Government Association conference whether a four-day week could help solve some of the critical recruitment issues facing the sector and our Council. It was after that event that discussions about a trial at South Cambridgeshire District Council started, with a view to addressing the recruitment and retention issues. We are lucky that we had an officer who was already studying that topic and could share the benefit of the knowledge she had gained.

Summary List of Media Coverage

Below is a list of the media coverage with links where possible. Check them out yourself.

26/04/2023	Cambridgeshire Live online	South Cambs bin collectors could start four day week trial in the summer	Link
26/04/2023	BBC Radio Cambridgeshire	Cllr Henry Batchelor interviewed on drive time programme about proposed 4 day week trial for Greater Cambridge Shared Waste crews	Approx 3’10” into show
26/04/2023	BBC Radio Cambridgeshire	PM bulletins: South Cambs bin crews could trial 4 day week	N/A
26/04/2023	Cambridge Independent online	Plan four-day week trial for bin collectors in Cambridge and South Cambridgeshire	Link
27/04/2023	Cambridge News print	Bin Workers to Trial 4 Day Week	P1 & 6
27/04/2023	Hi Hub online	Council proposes four-day-week trial for refuse collection	Link
27/04/2023	Productivity Podcast	Can We Make the 4 Day Week Work	Link
28/04/2023	Daily Mirror online	Council staff set to stay on four-day week after ‘historic’ trial – and extend to binmen	Link
29/04/2023	The Telegraph print	Binmen could switch to four-day week	P1 & P2
29/04/2023	MSN online	Binmen to work four-day week as public sector clocks off early	Link
29/04/2023	The Guardian online	‘An undeniable success’: first UK council trial of four-day week set to be extended	Link
29/04/2023	Cambs News online	South Cambridgeshire Council may extend 4-day week trial for a year	Link
29/04/2023	Evening Standard online	First ever council trial of four-day week hailed a success	Link
29/04/2023	Ely Standard online	First ever council trial of four-day week hailed a success	Link
30/04/2023	Car Dealer online	Apr 30: Four-day week trial ‘success’; Ban on finance deals cold calls; Power line concern; Bentley to raise the woof	Link
30/04/2023	Enfield Independent online	Four-day week trial in South Cambridgeshire hailed a success	Link
30/04/2023	Leigh Journal online	Four-day week trial in South Cambridgeshire hailed a success	Link
30/04/2023	Dunberaton and Vale of Leven Reporter online	Four-day week trial in South Cambridgeshire hailed a success	Link
30/04/2023	South Wales Guardian online	Four-day week trial in South Cambridgeshire hailed a success	Link
30/04/2023	Ikley Gazette online	Four-day week trial in South Cambridgeshire hailed a success	Link
01/05/2023	Cambridgeshire Live online	South Cambridgeshire council’s four day work week trial hailed a success	Link
01/05/2023	Business Matters Magazine online	Cambridgeshire council, UK’s first, to trial four-day week hailed a success	Link
01/05/2023	Lad Bible online	First UK council trial of four-day week set to be extended	Link
01/05/2023	The Spectator online	Opinion: What Jacob Rees-Mogg gets wrong about the four day week	Link
01/05/2023	The Mirror online	Four-day week will be norm for UK workers by 2030, most people believe	Link
01/05/2023	The Sun online	SHIRKERS’ CHARTER’ Majority of Brits will be working a four-day week by 2030, poll suggests	Link
02/05/2023	Politico online	London Playbook: Another big day for Sue Gray — Crunch NHS staff vote — The reshuffle that wasn’t	Link
02/05/2023	Cambridge News print	District council’s four-day week trial hailed a success	P6

The usual negative culprits

29/04/2023	Daily Mail online	Binmen could switch to four-day working week under plans being drawn up by Lib Dem council	Link
01/05/2023	Daily Mail online	The ‘charter for idlers’: Anger as Lib Dem-run local authority lets staff work four days a week for the same salary – just after announcing council tax rises	Link
01/05/2023	Daily Mail print	The ‘charter for idlers’: Anger as Lib Dem-run local authority lets staff work four days a week for the same salary – just after announcing council tax rises	P11
01/05/2023	Daily Mail online	EXCLUSIVE Boss of Lib-Dem run South Cambridgeshire council which was first to introduce a four-day week is secretly working on university thesis…on the effect of a four-day week	Link
01/05/2023	GB News online	Jacob Rees-Mogg weighs in on South Cambridgeshire Council’s four-day workweek trial	Link