4 Day Week

Also, thinking about people's wages increasing, while that may hurt to company that is paying the wages, it will be good for another company, when the wages are spent on their product or service.
Lots of small businesses and self employed people rely on other people having that bit more spare cash to spend, not a great deal more, just enough to go towards paying someone else's wages when they go to the hairdressers or buy a takeaway, for example. The extra money is circulated around the economy.

Ilovecheese with manufacturing on a large scale (some production lines are active 24/7), I can see the advantages. In the long term it could provide more jobs.

I am all for family time, but if they manage to get this on the statute books, the treacle down effect could be disastrous for small business.

I had a colleague who negotiated a 4-day week with her employer. She still worked the 37 hours required by her contract but spread it over four days. She either came in early or worked later. Either way she avoided ‘rush hour’ traffic.

It suited her well

Regarding manufacturing businesses, with the increase in robotics and AI, productivity could well remain the same over a four day week. If this was the case, then the business could benefit by saving the everyday running costs of heating, lighting and power, for three days a week.

An innovative business could even rent out its premises and equipment to another company for three days a week.

One does not always have to think first of the the negatives attached to giving people bit more time for their family lives and outside interests.

(grannygravy I am not referring here to your business, thinking more of manufacturers)

My brother has a building firm, the men work a 5 day week and they are above the living wage. Several have been with the firm 30 years . My brother often works a seven day week.

If the men worked a four day week this would delay completion of works, there will be no bricklayers , carpenters etc wanting to work one day a week so the firm would halt after four days . People would not be happy if they had to wait three days for the men to return to work.

We pay above the so called "living wage". Our staff members are a happy easy going lot.

I think higher wages and 4 days would be a bitter pill to swallow. Small businesses have for many years been the backbone of the UK, business rates, corporation tax and we now have to have a pension scheme in place for all employees.

We are happy to pay our taxes, but strongly object to big corporations getting away with paying less than their share.

Our AC run the business for us on a day to day basis, they will need to be there all the time. The profit margin is/will be unable to support extra staff and higher wages.

It got me thinking that if employers see a job can be done in four days rather than five ....!
What next ?
Work even harder in those four days in order to 'deserve' the extra day off ?
How will it work ?
I don't think its practical.

They want a four day week plus higher wages GrannyGravy

A small business like ours would definitely suffer. Our Trade Counter opens from 8am - 6pm Mon - Fri, and 8 am- 12.30pm on Sat.

We need staff with specialist knowledge, try to get younger people in but struggle as they are not really interested in learning product details/applications.

Really cannot see it working for us.