It’s a notion which would have been startling to anybody who grew up in Scotland in the first half of the 20th Century: a four-day working week.
At that stage, and especially before 1930, many employees were accustomed to a six-day weekly grind, with a week or two of summer holidays as the only break of the year – and even the latter had to be fought for by trade unions and political activists.
But now, there are growing calls for four-day working weeks to be rolled out across Scotland.
What do you think of the idea?
- Find out about the trials in Scotland so far,
- Hear perspectives from those on both sides of the argument,
- And cast your vote in our poll below…
Trial of 4-day working week started in Scotland six months ago
The Scottish Government has launched trials of a four-day working week to test whether the practice could be rolled out country-wide in the future.
Ministers confirmed that pilots are being carried out at South of Scotland Enterprise (SoSE) and Accountancy in Bankruptcy (AiB), with staff doing a 32-hour week without any loss of earnings, with evaluations being carried out by “expert partner” Autonomy.
And although this represents only three hours fewer every week, the shift to four-day working is regarded by supporters as key to enhancing people’s work-life balance.
The plan, which has already been adopted by the Scottish Greens, is being promoted across the UK by the 4 Day Week Campaign with flexible working consultancy firm Timewise and any companies interested can sign up for a start in November.
The pilot – which will examine other flexible working policies such as compressed hours – will report its findings to the new Labour government next summer.
But there’s scepticism in parts of the business world…
New methods of flexible working have been gaining momentum since the Covid-19 pandemic when large sections of the population operated on a virtual basis.
Yet, while many families are searching for a better balance between their work and leisure time, business leaders are worried about the potential consequences.
Russell Borthwick, chief executive of Aberdeen and Grampian Chamber of Commerce, told The Press and Journal: “Scotland has stubborn growth levels, major productivity challenges and nearly a third of the working-age population economically inactive.
“Years on from the end of the pandemic, an enormous chunk of the public sector is still working from home – crippling our town and city centres and doing nothing to improve access to public services.
‘This could create bigger problems’
“Meanwhile, opinion polls show that Scots are increasingly unconvinced that their higher taxes are delivering value for money in the services being delivered.
“While employers will often wish to be flexible and make arrangements to get the best out of their staff, it seems highly unlikely that we’re going to address these major economic and workforce challenges by giving the public sector a three-day weekend.”
His concerns were echoed by Liam Kerr, the north-east Conservative MSP, who believes the Scottish Government is continuing to pursue Green policies.
He said: “Although the idea might seem attractive on its surface, four-day working is impractical for the majority of jobs in today’s workforce.
“With respect to the people who’ve taken part in the pilot, what works for them and their productivity may not work in the world outside.
‘What about the NHS, farmers, teachers and police?’
“Scots on the trains this week have noticed just what happens when workers stop doing overtime. Think about what happens if frontline workers in our NHS, teaching, farming and the police move to four days.
“Jobs should absolutely have a level of flexibility built in, and most employers now offer flexitime and work around family commitments. But I think a grown-up government should look to increase growth and productivity, rather than take a cudgel to it.
“The SNP are chasing an eye-catching gimmick, without regard for practicality or cost.”
However, Jim Hunter, emeritus professor at UHI, argued that there had been concerted opposition to improving working conditions a century ago – but change still took place.
He said: “I can remember when my father’s working week ended at midday on Saturday rather than on Friday night. And into the 20th Century, most people worked six days a week, year in year out, often with no holidays except perhaps Christmas Day in England and New Year’s Day in Scotland.
‘Initial tests have proved positive’
“There has been quite a bit of experimentation with four-day weeks over the last year or two and the outcome has mostly been seen as positive in relation to productivity.
“What’s certainly the case is that, historically, just about every improvement in working conditions has had its detractors – all the way back to 19th Century measures to restrict and eventually ban children from working in factories.
“And it’s something of a reversal of a longstanding Presbyterian suspicion of holidays for the Scottish Government to be leading the charge for more time off work!”
A Scottish Government spokesperson told the P&J: “We are supporting trials [at S0SE and AiB] to assess the impact of a four-day working week on productivity.
“Trials elsewhere have proved effective and the Scottish Government is keen to assess benefits and risks for businesses and workers in Scotland, in line with our 2021-22 Programme for Government commitment.
“Scotland’s tax system allows for a more comprehensive set of services in Scotland compared to the rest of the UK, including free prescriptions and free university tuition.
“Recent HMRC research has shown that thousands more taxpayers moved to Scotland than left between 2017-18 and 2021-22. We will continue to monitor the impact of our tax policy to ensure it delivers for everyone in Scotland.”
Conversation