South Cambridgeshire Council Adopts Permanent Four-Day Week After Successful Trial

South Cambridgeshire District Council has voted to permanently adopt a four-day work week for its staff, following a 27-month trial involving around 700 employees. The council, led by the Liberal Democrats, allows staff to complete 100% of their work in approximately 80% of their hours without a pay reduction. Independent analysis from the Universities of Salford, Bradford, and Cambridge found that 21 out of 24 council services either improved or remained stable, with significant gains in areas such as call response rates, housing benefit processing, planning application decisions, and timely repairs. The trial also led to a 123% increase in job applications and a 43% reduction in staff turnover, contributing to yearly savings of nearly £400,000 largely due to reduced agency worker costs. While the council's Labour group supports the move, Conservative councillors have called for further scrutiny, citing resident surveys indicating decreased satisfaction with some services. Liberal Democrat leaders emphasize the benefits of improved recruitment and retention amid competitive local labor markets, despite mixed public feedback.