Marvin OnumonuThe Scottish Greens have urged the UK and Scottish Governments to support businesses considering a four-day work week.
The party’s workers’ rights spokesperson, Maggie Chapman MSP, highlighted benefits such as improved work-life balance and increased productivity.
The Greens have already implemented a four-day week for their staff with positive feedback.
Chapman said: “Every worker deserves to have a good work-life balance, and a four day week without loss of pay is a proven way of providing that.
“The Easter bank holidays will give workers all over the country more time to spend with their families, friends and loved ones, or simply to relax.
“That should be normal rather than being an exception.”
Chapman added: “The path to a four day week will be different for every company and organisation.
“That’s why we want to see more trials across different sectors and are urging the Scottish and UK governments to offer more support for those making the change.
“Whenever workers’ rights have been extended there have been people telling us it is impossible or would result in a loss of productivity or profit.”
She said: “We heard this with the introduction of weekends, basic health and safety, and the minimum wage: the same voices told us they couldn’t be done, or they would be detrimental.
“I believe that people are so much more than just cogs in our economy, and that means we must ensure that work does not cause stress and harm to people. We already have longer work weeks than the European average.”
She added: “We should be transforming our relationship with work to support the health and wellbeing of our workforce.
“Because that will be good for them but also for those they work for: happy, healthy employees will be more productive than sick, stressed and frustrated workers.
“The impact of normalising a four day week could be transformative for workers’ rights and for building a fairer, greener and better future.”
