Can we adapt to a four-day working week?
On 30 Jan Professor David Spencer featured in a BBC News article titled ‘Is working four days a week better than five?’
The article discusses Bradford-based supermarket chain Morrisons having just axed four-day working weeks for its head office staff. Meanwhile, just nine miles to the east in Leeds, rivals Asda are trialling them for their store managers. Professor David Spencer said he supports the idea of a four-day week and believes Morrisons did not quite get it right.
Professor Spencer, an expert in labour economics, commented:
I think the general point is that there may be logistical issues, but these issues can be overcome.
"A more general point to make is that if we look at history we adapted to a five-day week.We moved from a six-day week to a five-day week. And we overcame logistical issues in terms of shifting shift patterns.
"There's no reason why we couldn't adjust to a four-day week as well, with a four-day, 32-hour week rather than a 40-hour week.
