the largest public sector trial of the four-day week in Britain saw fewer refuse collectors quit and there were faster planning decisions, more rapid benefits processing and quicker call answering, independent research has found.
The time taken to process changes to housing benefit and council tax benefit claims fell.
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The trial was by Liberal Democrat
On the downside, rent collection for council housing worsened slightly, although this was attributed to the cost of living crisis. The speed with which empty council houses were relet fell slightly, from 28 to 30 days on average
Employers everywhere from Sweden to the United Arab Emirates and New Zealand to the US have experimented with the four-day week. But last week the government of Greece announced a new six-day week policy for private companies aimed at boosting the economy amid a shrinking population and shortage of skilled workers. It is seeking longer hours from workers to turbocharge productivity.
The multi-year study of the trial involving about 450 desk staff plus refuse collectors found:
Staff turnover fell by 39%, helping save £371,500 in a year, mostly on agency staff costs.
Regular household planning applications were decided about a week and a half earlier.
Approximately 15% more major planning application decisions were completed within the correct timescale, compared with before.