South Cambridgeshire District Council has voted to become the first Council in the UK to permanently adopt a four-day week – after rigorous independent analysis showed most services got better or were maintained, with significant improvements to recruitment and retention.
Under South Cambridgeshire District Council’s four-day week, staff are expected to carry out 100 per cent of their work, in around 80 per cent of their contracted hours, without reduction in pay. All Council staff will be able to opt-in under a Productivity Policy.
Independent analysis from the Universities of Salford, Bradford and Cambridge highlights how 21 of 24 services they monitored have improved or stayed the same since four-day week working began at the Council in 2023. Those areas which saw a statistically significant improvement include:
- The percentage of calls answered by the Contact Centre.
- The average number of days taken to update Housing Benefit and Council Tax Support claims.
- The average number of weeks for householder planning applications to be decided.
- The percentage of planning applications (both large and small) decided within target or agreed timescales.
- The percentage of Council house repairs complete within 24 hours.
- The percentage of complaints responded to on time.
If performance variations caused by COVID are discounted, every single service monitored either got better or stayed the same.
The number of applications for jobs at the Council rose by more than 120 per cent during the four-day week. Beforehand, only around eight in 10 jobs advertised were filled – sometimes only five out of every 10. The number of workers leaving fell by more than 40 per cent – helping provide benefits to communities through greater stability of services.
The Council has also cut the amount it has to spend over its budgets on staff. There has been a yearly saving of £399,263. This is mainly due to filling vacancies permanently – rather than using more expensive agency workers, which can be disruptive for residents as officers change.
The four-day week has seen more staff say that they intend to continue to work for the Council, a key factor in reducing turnover and high vacancy rates. Mental and physical health and motivation have improved.
Further independent research by the University of Cambridge details how the four-day week has benefited disabled colleagues, those with medical conditions and carers.
The Council initially ran a three-month trial of a four-day week at the start of 2023 to help to ease acute recruitment and retention challenges. That trial was extended for one year. The Council then had to run a public consultation – which took place earlier this year – before being able to determine the next steps. Four-day week working has continued in the meantime.
An independent report from market research company DJS Research into that consultation outlines what responses showed about residents’ perception and experiences of services during the four-day week.
A representative survey shows people felt there had been no statistically significant difference in their experience of nine services. There was a perceived decrease in three services. Elsewhere in the same survey, 45 per cent of people expressed support for the four-day week – but there were a range of responses.
The four-day week data was discussed at their Scrutiny and Overview Committee. District Councillors then voted to become a permanent four-day week employer.
