Civil servants in the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Defra) have launched a campaign to work a four-day week.
Staff have called for a pilot scheme involving more than 21,000 employees, and are backed by the 4 Day Week Campaign, which ran a successful trial in the private sector.
Civil service union the Public and Commercial Services Union (PCS) yesterday (7 December) delivered a petition to bosses at Defra to ask them to agree to the trial.
Last month, it was reported that the Cabinet Office had emailed civil servants with an expectation that they spend 60% of their time in the office.
PCS said an interim survey of members across all departments had found that 40% were considering quitting if they were forced to return to the office for a required minimum.
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PCS general secretary Mark Sertwotka said: “Evidence suggests a four-day week would lead to a better work-life balance for staff and could improve productivity for the employer.
“Previous trials have led to a reduction in sick leave and improvements to staff retention and satisfaction. If Defra wants to seriously address the issues of employee burnout, stress and poor wellbeing they will listen to our members and implement this pilot.”
4 Day Week Campaign director Joe Ryle added: “A four-day working week with no loss of pay improves both productivity and the wellbeing of workers.
“It’s been tested time and time again with great success in the private sector so it’s only right and fair to see if these benefits can apply to public sector workers.
“We’re long overdue a reduction in working hours and we’re proud to be supporting PCS members in their campaign.”
Several local authorities have been involved in successful trials of four-day working arrangements, where employees work for 80% of the time but receive full pay.
However, government ministers have hit out at the trials, claiming they do not deliver taxpayers value for money.
The Department for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities sent out formal guidance in October suggesting that the government would “consider options” if performance declined in any council choosing to offer the arrangements.
One council, South Cambridgeshire District Council, continued with its four-day week trial despite calls from a minister to “stop the experiment”, offering evidence that it had reduced agency worker spending and improved recruitment.
In the private sector, a pilot among 61 participants led by the 4 Day Week Campaign ended in February this year, with 92% planning to continue the policy.
If the trial was granted, Defra would be the first central government department to trial a four-day week.
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