Kent companies weigh up a potential four-day week

KentOnline / KMTV

With the government considering allowing workers to spend longer in the office for four days, how would Kent fare economically and politically?  Oliver Leader De Saxe reports...

Transcript

00:00Would you want to do a whole week's work in four days in exchange for a longer weekend?

00:06Under current rules, workers can request flexible working, but employers don't have to agree.

00:13But a new law may force businesses to offer flexible working from day one,

00:19except where not reasonably feasible.

00:22While the government says they're not imposing a four-day working week on anyone,

00:27new plans would give workers the option of doing the same hours in fewer days.

00:32And for some businesses who are already working shorter weeks,

00:36like Digital Reflect in Maidstone, they think the plans could be beneficial.

00:42Yes, initially it was a bit of a shock for some people that it was such long days,

00:46but actually it's made me a lot more productive, meaning that I'm just going to get my work done

00:53in those four days, and then the Friday it's off, it's your own time, you can spend it how you want.

01:00And for me, yeah, it's just been a real game changer.

01:03It'll be hard to ever go back to a five-day week.

01:07But speaking on the Kent Politics Show,

01:09Conservative councillor and small business owner Mark Joy

01:13told the programme he wasn't sold it would work.

01:17The legislation's already there for flexible working,

01:20where it suits both the employee and the employer.

01:24Giving 100% carte blanche to the employee is going to, again,

01:30with everything else that Keir Starmer is seeming to do to small businesses at the moment,

01:35it's just going to keep putting nails in that coffin.

01:38So are passers-by in Rochester as equally concerned about a compressed working week?

01:45I think it's a very good idea, yes,

01:48because I think it would be easier on people who don't want to do five days.

01:52I think if you work for a very big business, then they can afford to do it.

01:55I think if you work for a very small business, it might drive that business to the wall.

01:58I think it's ideal. I mean, I do four days sometimes, three days sometimes, six days.

02:05Yeah, I think it's beneficial.

02:08The hours are going to be too long.

02:10People don't want to spend 70 or whenever in work when they've got kids.

02:15They want to go home and see the kids.

02:17A spokesperson for the Department of Business and Trade

02:20says any changes to employment legislation will be consulted on

02:26to find the balance between improving workers' rights and supporting those who pay their wages.

02:32We won't have to wait long to find out the future of the long weekend,

02:36with further details expected within the next few months.

02:41But whether Kent is ready to clock in more hours to clock off a day early, it's hard to say.

02:48Oliver Leeds of the Saks reporting for KMTV.

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