Office Politics | Why a “one-size, fits all” four-day working week is not a productivity cure-all

Whatever your political persuasions, the news that Labour has proposed a four-day full-time working week has set HR minds whirring.

Here, our working time consultant, Neville Henderson, looks at the pros and cons of the policy.

What has been announced?

As an answer to the infamous “Productivity Puzzle”, John McDonnell has revealed a new policy stating that: “The next Labour government will reduce the average full-time working week to 32 hours within the next decade”. So, where does this come from, why will this help, and what in reality does this mean?