Britons could find themselves working just four days a week as the country navigates the “new normal” following the pandemic, according a review chief looking into government workplace.
Chairman of the Flexible Working Taskforce, Peter Cheese, believes the UK should “move away” from the 9 to 5 culture to embrace flexible and balanced working.
Mr Cheese was optimistic about the idea of four day working weeks.
“If I said something was going to change, maybe […] what we refer to as the standard five-day working week — that’s what will begin to change. And it could emerge in lots of different forms, one of which could be a four-day working week,” he said.
In an interview with Politico, he was asked about the plans his taskforce have for employment once Brits get back to working without restrictions.
The head of industry group the Chartered Institute of Personnel and Development added: “There are a variety of mechanisms by which you can support people in these more flexible ways of working, which can be helpful in terms of inclusion and wellbeing and balance of life.”
He also reassured readers the government was dedicated to a “default” right to flexible working, as pledged in the Conservative manifesto.
But Mr Cheese warned any change would come from “emergent practice”.
He added: “In other words, organisations starting to do things like that, rather than government edicts.”
His comments come at a time when his force is assessing the legal consequences of employment post-Covid.
