A four-day week will soon be the norm in the public sector.

I don’t understand what you’re saying Casdon. Of course I see patients and families as clients, and their real needs are frequently more urgent and important than lawyers’ clients perceive their needs to be. Incidentally, when I was a single parent all my out of hours work was done when my son was asleep. I worked locally until he went to university - I always put him before my career.

A four day week is not about "slacking off" it is about being more agile.

Ilovecheese

A four day week is not about "slacking off" it is about being more agile.

Call it what you wish - work hours required to finish the task and those hours not accomplished, no task finished.

Work isn't agile.

What I’m saying is that whether we are in private industry, law, or a public service we are all there to serve clients. Their needs and demands are equally of importance to us, and we all do our utmost to meet them. It is possible to meet clients needs effectively whist granting staff the ability to work four days a week in the vast majority of services. It’s already happening, and it will grow. The expectation that people in senior roles or who are self employed will work more than four days a week will continue, and none of us who did or do should expect a gold clock for doing so, it comes with the territory.
In summary, like it or not, for most employees it will happen over the next few years.

So if you are contracted to work 37 hours a week, and you are in a career that can easily work around total flexibility, why on Earth can’t those hours be worked over 4 days instead of 5, and indeed carried out at home if you so wish.

If an employer wants your skills, then you are in a position to negotiate how, where and when you complete this work. If the job is carried out professionally, skilfully and timely, then there is no earthly reason not to continue to employ this person, whose skills you value.

I think (know) that is also true of people in very senior positions.

I’ve worked in both the private sector and public sector and my clients did expect and got, phone calls, meetings or other action by me at both 7am and 8pm and other times of the day on occasions. That’s flexible working in action.
If a whole sector, be it local authorities or law worked a 4 day week that would be the expectation, in the private sector it wouldn’t mean losing clients if everyone was doing it.
As long as the clients expectation is met, that’s the target.
I think it will happen over time and mindsets will change.

As someone who is currently juggling work rotas, I can honestly say that in theory maybe, practically in our SME nowhere near achievable for at least three/four years, maybe more.

Some posters don’t understand the reality of some jobs. I don’t think there is anyone else here who can speak of my profession and the demands of its clients. I will say no more. You obviously know better than I.

Callistemon21

^My daughter works in public service (a civil servant) and can work flexi-time.^
I worked flexi-time but there were core hours when we were supposed to be there and it was over five days.
Occasionally working at weekends or Bank Holidays was necessary, sometimes working late when working to a deadline.

My daughter works for the National Crime Agency. Unfortunately, her "clients" don't work "set" hours - well, Michelle Mone and importers of child porn don't! The important issue is that the task is done - not when.

Germanshepherdsmum

Some posters don’t understand the reality of some jobs. I don’t think there is anyone else here who can speak of my profession and the demands of its clients. I will say no more. You obviously know better than I.

My partner's solicitor, who's sorting out his divorce payments, doesn't work five days a week - I know that for a fact. She still seems to be a good solicitor and gets the job done.

Norah

Ilovecheese

A four day week is not about "slacking off" it is about being more agile.

Call it what you wish - work hours required to finish the task and those hours not accomplished, no task finished.

Work isn't agile.

Errrmmm ... work can be agile.

I don’t really see a 4 day week working in schools, hospitals, dentists for example.

My solicitor neighbour works 3 days a week and a lot of that seems to be working from home. My barrister neighbour works odd days and has lots of days off. Most GOs seem to work a 3 day week. It obviously works for some.

GPs not GOs!

Ziplok

I don’t really see a 4 day week working in schools, hospitals, dentists for example.

Admittedly timetabling in a secondary school is difficult when teaching staff don't work five days a week, but it's absolutely possible. In fact, an increasing number of teachers work part-time to stay relatively sane. Most primary school teachers already have half a day a week off timetable and arrangements are made for specialists (eg music, PE, a foreign language) to teach for the remaining half day. It doesn't mean the school is only open for four and a half days.

vegansrock

GPs not GOs!

It works for MPs too.

Your partner’s solicitor isn’t a transactional lawyer growstuff. Lawyers dealing with divorce and probate face very different expectations from clients. You can do that sort of work part time (which is doubtless why we hear complaints here about the time some solicitors take to wind up estates).

Whitewavemark2

So if you are contracted to work 37 hours a week, and you are in a career that can easily work around total flexibility, why on Earth can’t those hours be worked over 4 days instead of 5, and indeed carried out at home if you so wish.

If an employer wants your skills, then you are in a position to negotiate how, where and when you complete this work. If the job is carried out professionally, skilfully and timely, then there is no earthly reason not to continue to employ this person, whose skills you value.

It only works if you work with another person who is covering your work on the weekday you are not in.

There are many jobs where a 4 day week will not work if it means working a ten hour day.

Ziplok

I don’t really see a 4 day week working in schools, hospitals, dentists for example.

Shops?
Police forces and the agencies which work with them?

There is such a shortage of medical staff that working a four day week may not be feasible. They are working extra hours to try to cope with waiting lists as it is.

growstuff

Callistemon21

My daughter works in public service (a civil servant) and can work flexi-time.
I worked flexi-time but there were core hours when we were supposed to be there and it was over five days.
Occasionally working at weekends or Bank Holidays was necessary, sometimes working late when working to a deadline.

My daughter works for the National Crime Agency. Unfortunately, her "clients" don't work "set" hours - well, Michelle Mone and importers of child porn don't! The important issue is that the task is done - not when.

Well, there we have it!

Criminals don't work a four day week.

The important issue is that the task is done - not when
But there are deadlines, eg for court.

Of course, that could take months now.

If this is being led by the Welsh Government then it wouldn’t surprise me. They are destroying Wales with 20 mph limit, doubling or even trebling council tax on holiday homes when a lot of places rely on tourism, Rent Smart Wales placing almost impossible restrictions on landlords, many of whom are responsible, meaning landlords are selling up so there are less houses to rent. Utterly ridiculous. I have lived in Wales all my life but don’t want to live here any more. I have also worked for a Welsh local Authority all my working life and all I can say it’s broken, totally broken. Local Authority staff not doing the jobs they are paid for from public funds because they are “working from home”. Absolute clap trap. Don’t get me wrong there are lots of responsible employees doing what they should be doing but there are many who are not and they are not being held to account for it because their managers are doing exactly the same. A 4 day week will only mean it will make it even easier for them because they won’t even have to be “seen” to be working. Absolute nonsense.

Candy6 The employees don't work fewer hours with a four day week. They work for longer on the days when they work, so it doesn't make any difference to whether they're "seen" or not.

Callistemon21

^The important issue is that the task is done - not when^
But there are deadlines, eg for court.

Of course, that could take months now.

Yes, but that's not as a result of working patterns.