Council staff in major Scots city could soon be doing FOUR-DAY week

Scottish Sun

4 hours ago

She said the proposed change to working arrangements could offer a new way to help staff morale
WORK IN PROGRESS Council staff in major Scots city could soon be doing FOUR-DAY week
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WORKERS in one of Scotland's cities could soon be working just four days a week.
The proposals could soon be trialled by a council meaning thousands of staff could be the first in the country to work the revamped hours.
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The City of Edinburgh Council is exploring a proposal to offer staff a four-day week
Credit: The Times
Councillors in the capital passed a motion lodged by the Scottish Greens' Claire Miller.
She said the proposed change to working arrangements could offer a new way to help staff morale.
Cllr Miller claimed that "productivity remains the same or in some cases can actually improve" with a four-day working week.
She also told a City of Edinburgh Council meeting it would also assist in filling empty roles and aid poor health, as reported by BBC Scotland.
Officers will now prepare a report for the local authority's finance and resources committee.
The document will include information on the health of staff, productivity, recruitment and retention.
Council officers will also inspect the evidence from four-day week pilots or reduced workday practices elsewhere.
Ms Miller said: "The four-day week is a policy where our services remain as they are and there are no changes as far as the residents are concerned in terms of the opening hours provided to them.
"Studies into a four-day week show productivity remains the same or in some cases can actually improve, and a great proportion of the working week is given back to people for their own responsibilities for rest and for leisure.
"A four-day week is that rare unicorn policy, one where we can help our budgets but we would also be providing genuine benefits for our workers and through them to our residents."
Scottish Conservative councillor Christopher Cowdy said that the report must be "balanced and grounded".
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He added that the council should be wary in interpreting limited trials and that locals should also be consulted.
A number of local authorities in the UK have shown interest in trialling a four-day working week.
South Cambridgeshire District Council was the first to trial it.