Can a council do five days' work in four?

"You've lost eight hours a week. How can you make that up?"

"I don't think the service has improved. If you do a four-day week, you've got less service, haven't you?"

"about the impact... on other local services"

"suffering more than most councils from problems arising from recruitment and retention challenges"

South Cambridgeshire District Council implemented a 32-hour, four-day working week three years ago to address recruitment and retention issues. Staff turnover fell by 41% and job applicants rose by 123% after the change, while agency worker fees were reduced by £399,000. An independent 27-month analysis by the universities of Bradford, Cambridge and Salford found improvement or no significant change in 21 of 24 performance areas but could not prove causality. Contact centre staff answered 7% more calls than previously. Some residents and government figures have criticised the model and warned of potential service impacts.

Read at www.bbc.com