Councils in England face clampdown on four-day working weeks

The Guardian•Wednesday, October 29, 2025 at 11:36:33 AM

Steve Reed, the local government secretary, is raising alarms about the impact of four-day working weeks on council performance, specifically addressing South Cambridgeshire, which is the only council to have formally trialed this policy. Reed's concerns highlight the potential risks to public services and value for money, suggesting that such a shift could lead to a decline in service quality. This matters because it reflects ongoing debates about work-life balance versus efficiency in public service delivery.

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