More Than Half Of Workers Think A Four Day Week Should Be A Right
In a survey by leading Harrogate law firm, LCF Law, more than half of respondents said they believe they should have the right to work a four-day week.
During the research, LCF Law asked almost 100 workers if they agreed there should be a right to work a four-day week, and 53% answered yes, 31% stated that it depends and just 16% said no.
Employment law advisor, Brendan Bah, from LCF Law, explained: “Flexible working covers a broad scope of circumstances including working hours, working patterns, part-time and term-time working, compressed hours, as well as hybrid and remote working which can include working from home.
“In a shakeup of employment legislation that was introduced in April 2024, employees now have additional rights to request flexible working from the moment they start a job. They can also make two requests in a 12-month period, and there is no longer the need to explain what effect their request could have on their employer and how this can be managed.
“As was the case prior to April, employers still have the right to reject a request, however, they must now consult with employees before rejecting it, and now have only two months to communicate an outcome.”
Brendan added: “In recent months, there has been speculation that as part of the Employment Rights Bill, the government would increase workers’ rights further when it comes to flexible working, which could include the right to condense their hours over four longer days instead of five, which our research shows the majority of people would be in favour of.
“Certain businesses have also been exploring and trialling different available options, with some employers allowing employees to reduce their working hours but continuing to receive their full-time salary.
“Whilst changes like these are unlikely to become the norm, it will be interesting to see how the working landscape changes over the next couple of months, especially to account for employees’ greater requirement for more flexibility.”
LCF Law is an award-winning full-service law firm, which operates regionally, nationally and internationally, with over 145 people across offices in Leeds, Bradford, Harrogate and Ilkley.
