Decision details

The report will provide an update on the 4-Day-Week waste and desk-based trials, working hours and next steps.

[The appendix is restricted by virtue of paragraph 5 of Schedule 12A to the Local Government Act 1972 (as amended) (Information in respect of which a claim to legal professional privilege could be maintained in legal proceedings).]

Cabinet:

a)     Agreed to continue with four-day week working arrangements for desk-based colleagues (pro rata for part time colleagues) until: (i) information was provided by the Government regarding potential future financial levers they might impose on Councils using this working practice, as announced in their Local Government Financial Settlement consultation in December 2023, and (ii) a subsequent consultation was carried out by the Council, analysed, and all trial data was presented to Full Council for a final decision.

b)     Agreed to continue with four-day week working arrangements for the Waste service operational colleagues (the crews) (pro rata for part time colleagues) until: (i) information was provided by the Government regarding potential future financial levers they might impose on Councils using this working practice, as announced in their Local Government Financial Settlement consultation in December 2023, and (ii) a subsequent consultation was carried out by the Council, analysed, and all trial data was presented to Full Council for a final decision, noting that with a seasonal service, ideally a full year’s data was required.

c)     Agreed to undertake a consultation on the four-day week, once the financial implications of the Government’s Local Government Financial Settlement consultation were confirmed and all implications of considering adoption of a four-day week permanently were understood.

d)     Agreed that, for all colleagues working a four-day week (desk-based and waste operations), the hours were harmonised at 32 hours per week (pro rata for part time colleagues) at 86.5% of contracted hours from 1 April 2024.

e)     Noted that the proposal to approve a continuation of a four-day week (pro rata for part time) working model for waste and desk-based colleagues post the end of March 2024, would also be brought to the Strategy and Resources Committee at Cambridge City Council on 25 March 2024, and that both Councils were required to support the decision for the services which were shared (Waste and Planning).

f)      Agreed that an update report to Employment & Staffing Committee, Cabinet and Full Council and Cambridge City council committees, no later than the end of July 2024, would provide data on the trial periods (desk-based and waste), up until the end of March 2024, and information about the ongoing effectiveness, including recruitment and retention, costs and savings of a four-day week working model.