South Cambridgeshire Council Leader Criticizes ‘Culture War’ Notice Over Four-Day Week Trial

The head of a local council characterized the previous government’s issuance of a Best Value Notice concerning a four-day work week pilot at her council as a “fruitless attempt to stoke up a culture war”. Bridget Smith, a Liberal Democrat and leader of South Cambridgeshire District Council, expressed satisfaction that the Labour government had not reinstated the official notice of concern. Nevertheless, during a meeting held on Thursday, councillors from the opposition asserted that residents felt “palpable anger” regarding the trial and voiced worries that employees might be undertaking additional employment. The council refuted claims that any staff had acquired extra jobs since the commencement of the trial. The notice, issued by the Conservative government, required the council to prove that the implementation of four-day work weeks provided value to taxpayers. These work weeks entail employees completing 80% of their previous hours while retaining their full salary. The authority initiated the pilot program in early 2023 with the aim of assessing its potential to enhance staff recruitment and retention, alongside increasing productivity and wellbeing. During a full council meeting on Thursday, Ms. Smith stated: “Looking back, the Best Value Notice seems to be reactionary, politically motivated, a fruitless attempt to stoke up a culture war, and we are still here and the last government is not.” She continued: “I hope that moving forward politics will be taken out of this, because at the end of the day it is operational. This is about finding ways of delivering the very best services possible to our residents.” Ms. Smith added: “The fact that we have happy, healthy, well-motivated, highly productive staff is what we should all be aspiring to.” Concerning the conclusion of the trial, the authority indicated it was awaiting definitive information from the government regarding the financial settlement for the 2025-26 period. Upon receiving this, the Liberal Democrats, who govern the council, announced their intention to conduct a consultation on subsequent actions. According to the Local Democracy Reporting Service, opposition councillors have persisted in voicing their apprehensions. Independent councillor Daniel Lentell proposed a motion highlighting worries that the public was not receiving adequate value for money, and speculated that employees might utilize their non-working day for external employment or to “sell back” their services. He further expressed apprehension that staff working for other entities could potentially lead to a conflict of interest, advocating for the establishment of “clear guidelines” to prevent such situations. Richard Williams, a Conservative, seconded the motion, stating it “raises issues that are fundamental to public trust”. He also noted “palpable anger” among residents in the district concerning the four-day week. Nevertheless, the council affirmed that all secondary employment must be declared and that no individual had commenced a second job on their designated non-working day throughout the trial period.