this post was submitted on 02 Jul 2023
52 points (98.1% liked)

United Kingdom

3911 readers
765 users here now

General community for news/discussion in the UK.

Less serious posts should go in [email protected] or [email protected]
More serious politics should go in [email protected].

Try not to spam the same link to multiple feddit.uk communities.
Pick the most appropriate, and put it there.

Posts should be related to UK-centric news, and should be either a link to a reputable source, or a text post on this community.

Opinion pieces are also allowed, provided they are not misleading/misrepresented/drivel, and have proper sources.

If you think "reputable news source" needs some definition, by all means start a meta thread.

Posts should be manually submitted, not by bot. Link titles should not be editorialised.

Disappointing comments will generally be left to fester in ratio, outright horrible comments will be removed.
Message the mods if you feel something really should be removed, or if a user seems to have a pattern of awful comments.

founded 1 year ago
MODERATORS
 

The local government minister has formally requested a council ends its trial of a four-day week "immediately" over concerns about "value for money".

top 15 comments
sorted by: hot top controversial new old
[–] [email protected] 37 points 1 year ago (1 children)

"Concerns" - sure, be concerned but let the trial play out. That's the point of a trial, to assess if something works or not.

The problem with MPs is that they continually ignore facts in favour of stupidity.

[–] CrypticCoffee 24 points 1 year ago (1 children)

They don't want it to succeed. Their buddies want folk in the office 5 days a week.

[–] [email protected] 10 points 1 year ago (2 children)

I sometimes think this is because of commercial real-estate, the death of the high-street, Pret not making as much money, etc.

But more often than not I think that it is because MPs and CEOs don't actually like spending time with their families. Their work is their hobby, they don't want to be 'home with the kids', and they like the office culture they have developed over their career. In the office they are important. At home they have to do the dishes.

[–] CrypticCoffee 4 points 1 year ago

Most ofthenm haven't worked a real job in their lives. Their policies come from their donors. Big business. If this succeeds, all workers start asking for it, and directors have to give "free time off".

[–] [email protected] 2 points 1 year ago

Frankly, I hope Pret goes into liquidation. The high street is dying because there's too many franchises that squash local businesses into submission.

And the nerve of these companies to have subscription services for coffee is disgusting. Rent seeking is shit in general, but in the food industry? It's a low I never thought we'd sink to.

The day McDonald's starts a subscription service is the day I finally admit the human race deserves to go extinct.

[–] [email protected] 32 points 1 year ago

"Oh shit, this is working well. I must put an end to it!"

[–] [email protected] 21 points 1 year ago (1 children)

"Your evidence is no match for my ideology! Stop it!" Or something something look tough on lazy/scroungers/insert stereotype blah

[–] [email protected] 4 points 1 year ago (1 children)

I think that'll be the outrage line. "They just want to work less for the same pay, expecting handouts, something something lazy entitled want everything handed to them" I saw similar with the outrage around quiet quitting.

[–] [email protected] 2 points 1 year ago

Yep usual tired old script

[–] [email protected] 16 points 1 year ago (1 children)

Can government ministers make demands on how a council, of a different political affiliation in this case, is ran?

I'm sure there can be very bad ways of doing a four day work week but it's certainly something I'd want in future.

[–] CrypticCoffee 7 points 1 year ago

They're trying to go the legal route. Let's hope they are bluffing and have nothing.

[–] TheDolphinsWereRight 13 points 1 year ago

The concerns are clearly they're scared it will spread to their buddies companies.

[–] [email protected] 6 points 1 year ago

I’m expecting four day work week to become gradually more commonplace.

[–] [email protected] 6 points 1 year ago

I truly fail to understand the logic besides protecting personal interests. By most metrics it's a success.

Unless he believes that if the council workers can be this efficient and productive in 4 days and that productivity hasn't been affected then the council workers should be able to do extra with that extra day and they obviously weren't doing enough before.

It's twisted logic, but there's a sense to it? If you manage to forget that people are people and need time away from work in order to be more productive, happier, etc

[–] [email protected] 1 points 1 year ago