Budapest Post

Cum Deo pro Patria et Libertate
Budapest, Europe and world news

Surprise, surprise, most of us want a four-day working week

Surprise, surprise, most of us want a four-day working week

Most people in the UK support moving to a four-day working week, new polling reveals.

Perhaps unsurprisingly, almost six in ten adults say they want to see the standard working week reduced to 32 hours, with no loss of pay.

The research comes after the Scottish government announced it would be trialling the move, after various other pilot schemes across the world.

According to the data from Opinium, shared exclusively with Metro.co.uk, almost six in ten adults (57%) support moving to a shorter working week, while only 21% of people oppose the move.

More than a third of both men and women (34%) strongly support the idea and although backing drops dramatically among the over 65s and in Conservative voters, both groups still come out in favour.

Very few people across various demographics strongly oppose the idea, which was a key part of Jeremy Corbyn’s Labour manifesto in 2019, before his party were roundly defeated.

The polling, which asked 2,001 adults about the proposal on September 22 and 23, comes after the Scottish government announced that it would be pursuing a new policy of a four day week with no loss in pay.

People were largely supportive of the switch, according to Opinium


The Scottish National Party is also creating a £10 million fund to help companies that want to try out a shorter working week.

Previous polls have also shown similar levels of support among Brits for a trial of the scheme across the UK – suggesting backing for the policy remains relatively stable.

Researchers in Iceland branded a long-term trial in the country – which led to many Icelanders moving to shorter hours – an ‘overwhelming success’.

The study suggested productivity remained stable or increased, while employers did not lose money and wellbeing went up ‘dramatically’.

And following the Covid crisis, nearly a fifth of UK companies say they are now considering switching to a four-day week, one survey says.

Clive Lewis, a former Labour leadership candidate, said: ‘It’s no surprise that such large numbers of people support moving to a shorter working week, with evidence from across the world showing it can have a really positive impact on working people and the businesses they work for.’

The Norwich South MP added: ‘As we emerge from the pandemic we have a real chance to do things differently – and moving to a shorter working week, where people have more time to spend with family and friends, and where the balance between work and leisure is more balanced, would be a major step forwards.’

World leaders in countries like Finland and New Zealand have backed the idea, which experts believe would create more jobs.

But not everyone is sold, with some businesses not convinced that the move makes financial success.

A Government spokesperson told Metro.co.uk: ‘There are no plans for the government to mandate a four-day working week, as the cost to the economy, businesses and jobs would be excessive.

‘However, we know how important flexible working arrangements are which is why only last week we announced a wide ranging package of measures to help give employees more flexible working options in the future.’

The new Government proposals are set to allow workers to ask their employers for flexible working from the first day in their new job.

But activists like Joe Ryle, the Campaign Director of the 4 Day Week Campaign, want them to go further.

He said: ‘The four-day week with no loss of pay is good for workers, good for productivity and good for the environment.

‘Scotland and Ireland are going ahead with trials, Wales is considering the same and the time has come for Boris Johnson to give the go ahead to trials in England.

‘We invented the weekend a century ago and it’s time for an update. The 9-5, 5 day working week is outdated and no longer fit for purpose.’

AI Disclaimer: An advanced artificial intelligence (AI) system generated the content of this page on its own. This innovative technology conducts extensive research from a variety of reliable sources, performs rigorous fact-checking and verification, cleans up and balances biased or manipulated content, and presents a minimal factual summary that is just enough yet essential for you to function as an informed and educated citizen. Please keep in mind, however, that this system is an evolving technology, and as a result, the article may contain accidental inaccuracies or errors. We urge you to help us improve our site by reporting any inaccuracies you find using the "Contact Us" link at the bottom of this page. Your helpful feedback helps us improve our system and deliver more precise content. When you find an article of interest here, please look for the full and extensive coverage of this topic in traditional news sources, as they are written by professional journalists that we try to support, not replace. We appreciate your understanding and assistance.
Newsletter

Related Articles

0:00
0:00
Close
Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orbán stated that Hungary will not adopt the euro because the European Union is falling apart.
Mayor in western Germany in intensive care after stabbing
Australian government pays Deloitte nearly half a million dollars for a report built on fabricated quotes, fake citations, and AI-generated nonsense.
BYD’s UK Sales Soar Nearly Nine-Fold, Making Britain Its Biggest Market Outside China
Latvia to Bar Tourist and Occasional Buses to Russia and Belarus Until 2026
Wave of Complaints Against Apple Over iPhone 17 Pro’s Scratch Sensitivity
Munich Airport Reopens After Second Drone Shutdown
Pro Europe and Anti-War Babiš Poised to Return to Power After Czech Parliamentary Vote
Sean ‘Diddy’ Combs Sentenced to Fifty Months in Prison Following Prostitution Conviction
Altman Says GPT-5 Already Outpaces Him, Warns AI Could Automate 40% of Work
Russian Research Vessel 'Yantar' Tracked Mapping Europe’s Subsea Cables, Raising Security Alarms
Global Cruise Industry Posts Dramatic Comeback with 34.6 Million Passengers in 2024
U.S. Demands Brussels Scrutinize Digital Rules to Prevent Bias Against American Tech
Private Equity’s Fundraising Surge Triggers Concern of European Market Shake-Out
Tokyo’s Jimbōchō Named World’s Coolest Neighbourhood for 2025
European Officials Fear Trump May Shift Blame for Ukraine War onto EU
The Personality Rights Challenge in India’s AI Era
Italy Considers Freezing Retirement Age at 67 to Avert Scheduled Hike
Italian City to Impose Tax on Visiting Dogs Starting in 2026
Study Finds No Safe Level of Alcohol for Dementia Risk
Trump Says Ukraine Can Fully Restore Borders with NATO Backing
Europe Signals Stronger Support for Taiwan at Major Taipei Defence Show
Germany Weighs Excluding France from Key European Fighter Jet Programme
Cyberattack Disrupts Check-in and Boarding Systems at Major European Airports
Björn Borg Breaks Silence: Memoir Reveals Addiction, Shame and Cancer Battle
When Extremism Hijacks Idealism: How the Baader-Meinhof Gang Emerged and Fell
JWST Data Brings TRAPPIST-1e Closer to Earth-Like Habitability
Trump Orders $100,000 Fee on H-1B Visas and Launches ‘Gold Card’ Immigration Pathway
France’s Looming Budget Crisis and Political Fracture Raise Fears of Becoming Europe’s “Sick Man”
Three Russian MiG-31 Jets Breach Estonian Airspace in ‘Unprecedentedly Brazen’ NATO Incident
European manufacturers against ban on polluting cars: "The industry may collapse"
Turkish car manufacturer Togg Enters German Market with 5-Star Electric Sedan and SUV to Challenge European EV Brands
Christian Brueckner Released from German Prison after Serving Unrelated Sentence
World’s Longest Direct Flight China Eastern to Launch 29-Hour Shanghai–Buenos Aires Direct Flight via Auckland in December
New OpenAI Study Finds Majority of ChatGPT Use Is Personal, Not Professional
The conservative right spreads westward: a huge achievement for 'Alternative for Germany' in local elections
Pope Leo Warns of Societal Crisis Over Mega-CEO Pay, Citing Tesla’s Proposed Trillion-Dollar Package
Poland Green-Lights NATO Deployment in Response to Major Russian Drone Incursion
U.S. and China Agree on Framework to Shift TikTok to American Ownership
Le Pen Tightens the Pressure on Macron as France Edges Toward Political Breakdown
Czech Republic signs €1.34 billion contract for Leopard 2A8 main battle tanks with delivery from 2028
Penske Media Sues Google Over “AI Overviews,” Claiming It Uses Journalism Without Consent and Destroys Traffic
Indian Student Engineers Propose “Project REBIRTH” to Protect Aircraft from Crashes Using AI, Airbags and Smart Materials
One in Three Europeans Now Uses TikTok, According to the Chinese Tech Giant
Could AI Nursing Robots Help Healthcare Staffing Shortages?
NATO Deploys ‘Eastern Sentry’ After Russian Drones Violate Polish Airspace
The New Life of Novak Djokovic
German police raid AfD lawmaker’s offices in inquiry over Chinese payments
Volkswagen launches aggressive strategy to fend off Chinese challenge in Europe’s EV market
France Erupts in Mass ‘Block Everything’ Protests on New PM’s First Day
×