Four-day week: ‘Working compressed hours saves me £350 a month on childcare’

Peter works Monday, Thursday, Friday and Saturday, which gives him Tuesday and Wednesday off for his hobby – performing magic shows for charity.

If he were to get a new job, he says the ability to work a compressed week would be “an absolute key factor” in his decision.

Despite the success stories from people like Laura, Kelly and Peter, Michelle Ovens, founder of Small Business Britain, has mixed views on compressed hours.

She describes it as “a limited solution that will not work for all, particularly the small businesses that need to stay open throughout the week, often with peak periods of activity”.

She says that introducing a four-day week could lead to higher staffing costs and that there are other ways of improving flexibility and accommodating staff “rather than simply implementing compressed hours and a strict four-day week system”.

She advises businesses not to be alarmed by the government’s proposals, though.

“Labour has been clear that it is not mandating the four-day working week,” she says.

“It is important that small businesses are reassured that there is no cause for concern, especially for sectors where this policy would not be feasible.”

For those who are still unsure about whether a compressed week will work for them, those words will come as some relief.

Additional reporting by Oliver Smith and Bernadette McCague