Minister for local government Lee Rowley has asked South Cambs District Council to end its trial of a four-day work week for council staff.

During the trial, officers in full-time, desk-based roles work a four-day week instead of five, with part-time staff hours reduced by 20 per cent, and with no reduction in overall pay.

The trial was due to last until 2024, but Mr Rowley - who is parliamentary under-secretary of state in the Department for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities - wrote a letter to the council arguing that this could be a breach of legal duties under the Local Government Act.

Mr Rowley said he had concerns about the impact on local taxpayers, and said that four-day working weeks are acceptable for some private sector organisations, but not for local government.

He added that his department will shortly be issuing "clear guidance" on the four-day week approach.

In a letter written in May, South Cambs MP Anthony Browne also wrote to the council saying there was a "lack of transparency" around the trial.

In response, Cllr Bridget Smith, leader of the council, said: "I was surprised to receive Mr Rowley’s letter and we have written to him to request a meeting with Ministers to discuss this matter.

"This is a trial, but we have already seen strong independently assessed evidence which showed that performance was maintained, and in some cases improved, in the first three months.

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"At the start of our trial we were carrying a £2 million annual agency bill.

"During the first three months of the trial, we filled four permanent posts that had previously been impossible to fill. This has reduced our annual bill by £300,000. 

"As time goes on it is becoming increasingly clear that recruitment has been positively affected, both in terms of the quality and number of applicants, and the consequent success in filling vacant posts."

The 4-Day Week campaign group argues that a nine to five, five-day working week is no longer fit for purpose, and that a four-day week would create a society where we "work to live, rather than live to work".