Business groups have reacted nervously to reports that the government intends to make working a compressed hours, four-day week a right for employees.
Matthew Percival, director of Future of Work at the CBI, said: “When the Government sets out how it wants to change this law, businesses will be looking to see that it doesn’t become prohibitively difficult or expensive to say ‘no’ to unreasonable requests.”
Conservative shadow business secretary Kevin Hollinrake said businesses are “petrified” about the idea, though ministers said there were no plans to make the proposal compulsory.
A Department for Business and Trade spokesperson told PA that any compressed hours arrangement would not mean “bank holiday-style weekends each week” and that employees would usually need to work their contracted hours, albeit over fewer days if they chose.
Earlier today, the Telegraph reported that organisations would have to offer compressed hours as an option except where it is “not reasonably feasible”.