Edinburgh council to look into giving workers four-day week

City of Edinburgh Council is to look into the possibility of introducing a four-day week for its employees.

Councillors voted for a motion put forward by Claire Miller, who said the move could provide a new way to help with staffing and morale.

The Scottish Green councillor told a full council meeting it would help fill empty roles and aid with poor health.

Several councils in the UK have expressed interest in testing a four-day work week, with South Cambridgeshire District Council being the first to trial it.

Officers will now prepare a report for the city council’s finance and resources committee with information and data on recruitment, retention, productivity and health of workers.

It will also explore the evidence from reduced or four-day week pilots, trials, and permanent models in relevant organisations.

Ms Miller said: “The four day week is a policy where our services remain as they are and there are no changes as far as the residents are concerned in terms of the opening hours provided to them.

“Studies into a four day week show productivity remains the same or in some cases can actually improve, and a great proportion of the working week is given back to people for their own responsibilities for rest and for leisure.

“A four day week is that rare unicorn policy, one where we can help our budgets but we would also be providing genuine benefits for our workers and through them to our residents.”

Scottish Conservative councillor Christopher Cowdy warned that the report needed to be “balanced and grounded”.

He said the council should be cautious in their interpretation from limited trials such as a Cambridgeshire pilot, and that Edinburgh residents should also be consulted.