FabSwingers.com forum: Govt wants to end council's four day working week.

By *melie LAL OP Woman
over a year ago

Peterborough

The south cambs council has stated a list of benefits from its trial of a 30 hour working week, but

The government "respects" the right of councils to make their own decisions on key issues, said local government Conservative minister Lee Rowley.

But he added: "There are also times, however, when government deems it proportionate to step in to ensure that residents' value for money is protected".

Doesn't it make you wish the govt ensured tax payers received value for money?

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By *exy_HornyCouple
over a year ago

Leigh

"The south cambs council has stated a list of benefits from its trial of a 30 hour working week, but

The government "respects" the right of councils to make their own decisions on key issues, said local government Conservative minister Lee Rowley.

But he added: "There are also times, however, when government deems it proportionate to step in to ensure that residents' value for money is protected".

Doesn't it make you wish the govt ensured tax payers received value for money?"

Value for money is impossible for either of them (council or government) as they are run by and employ public / civil servants.

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By *abioMan
over a year ago

Newcastle and Gateshead

"The south cambs council has stated a list of benefits from its trial of a 30 hour working week, but

The government "respects" the right of councils to make their own decisions on key issues, said local government Conservative minister Lee Rowley.

But he added: "There are also times, however, when government deems it proportionate to step in to ensure that residents' value for money is protected".

Doesn't it make you wish the govt ensured tax payers received value for money?

Value for money is impossible for either of them (council or government) as they are run by and employ public / civil servants."

I would suggest it’s the 30 hr element that is the issue…. Because those government and civil service departments that offer “5 day in 4 working” combined with working from home elements have found that productivity has actually increased ….

For example… moggsy when he was a cabinet office minister hated people WFH, but its work so well they don’t need to rent as many buildings to do the non customer facing stuff

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By *oubleswing2019Man
over a year ago

Colchester

I'm surprised the government haven't taken a deeper look at their own infrastructure.

Take the House of Parliament, for example.

A massively expensive operation in terms of ongoing costs covering building maintenance, staff costs, security, electricity and facilities, insurance, and lord knows what else.

Then you have the human cost of getting 650+ MP's to the place, their carbon cost for doing do, their expenses in getting there, yada yada yada.

All of which comes out of the taxpayers pocket.

Is it really a good use of public funds ?

Just to sit in a large room, jeer, moan, whine and grumble, and vote on something ?

In this day and age, when virtually most things can be done electronically, the act of a simple vote can be done securely and easily from pretty much any device at the press of a button.

Must we chain and demand physical bodies to a specific place to do a specific thing, when the technology to unshackle us from such things already exists ?

It all seem so pointless and bonkers.

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By *anJenny 181Couple
over a year ago

Preston

Let's face it anything this government do is not in the best interests of the peoples and would have more to do with helping themselves and individual owners of big business.

They don't want us to have time on our hands to organise against them that is for sure

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By *ob198XaMan
over a year ago

teleford

I’ve no issue with people doing a 30hr week, just so long as they only get paid for a 30 hour week…

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By *mmmMaybeCouple
over a year ago

West Wales

"The south cambs council has stated a list of benefits from its trial of a 30 hour working week, but

The government "respects" the right of councils to make their own decisions on key issues, said local government Conservative minister Lee Rowley.

But he added: "There are also times, however, when government deems it proportionate to step in to ensure that residents' value for money is protected".

Doesn't it make you wish the govt ensured tax payers received value for money?

Value for money is impossible for either of them (council or government) as they are run by and employ public / civil servants.

For example… moggsy when he was a cabinet office minister hated people WFH, but its work so well they don’t need to rent as many buildings to do the non customer facing stuff "

A friend of ours is a cleaner for the contractor that does the local government buildings. They had approx 6-10 staff in the building during Covid in a four story open plan building that normally would have a few hundred. The 6-10 staff were over all four floors.

His boss as he was struggling for staff suggested putting all 6-10 on the ground floor & locking the toilets of the other floors & shutting those floors down after a clean. He would reduce his charges to suit & could utilise his workload better with his reduced staff.

Very sensible you’d think wouldn’t you during Covid & cost effective for the council. Head of procurement said no, just carry on as normal six cleaners, two hours a day, all four floors, all toilets. Oh & all four floors are lit 24/7/365 even though it’s still pretty much empty as they are nearly all still working from home.

I wouldn’t trust any public body to save our money at all tbh.

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By *ophieslutTV/TS
over a year ago

Central

If the benefits of 4 day weeks are clear,then it's irresponsible for the government to impose inferior approaches. It's an example of the government not working to the benefit of its citizens. Dead zombie government just about walking

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By *ophieslutTV/TS
over a year ago

Central

"I’ve no issue with people doing a 30hr week, just so long as they only get paid for a 30 hour week…"

I think you missed the research evidence and objectives again

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By *melie LAL OP Woman
over a year ago

Peterborough

"If the benefits of 4 day weeks are clear,then it's irresponsible for the government to impose inferior approaches. It's an example of the government not working to the benefit of its citizens. Dead zombie government just about wanking

FTFY

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By (user no longer on site)
over a year ago

Aren’t the “benefits” that the Council has “listed” in dispute?

The Council’s Chief Executive sounds like a total tosser. She’s doing a PHD on four day weeks and is using the Council as her research project. Sounds like a banana republic.

Why stop at a four day week? Why not three, or even none?

I’m sure Council workers’ well being will improve no end and taxpayers won’t notice the difference.

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By *melie LAL OP Woman
over a year ago

Peterborough

"Aren’t the “benefits” that the Council has “listed” in dispute?

The Council’s Chief Executive sounds like a total tosser. She’s doing a PHD on four day weeks and is using the Council as her research project. Sounds like a banana republic.

Why stop at a four day week? Why not three, or even none?

I’m sure Council workers’ well being will improve no end and taxpayers won’t notice the difference."

I don't get the correlation between tosser, PhD and banana republic.

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By *urreyfun38Couple
over a year ago

croydon

My problem with this is it’s the tax payer again paying for civil servants to work less.

Think of it this way. You used to work 40 hours and now only work 30 but still do the work that took 40 before. So there is no productivity improvement.

This is just people doing what they are paid to do in a timely manner.

So in effect they can still do the same amount of work over 40 hours with 20% less staff.

That would be the productivity improvement that tax payers want.

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By *wosmilersCouple
over a year ago

Heathrowish

I understand (and I am sure that somebody will correct me if they have evidence to the contrary), that the 30 hour week doesn't include lunch breaks whereas the 40 hour week does. Therefore , there is a 5 hour working week difference.

Does this 5 hour drop mirror the shortfall in local authority pay rises against inflation over the past few years?

Just asking.....

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By *urreyfun38Couple
over a year ago

croydon

"I understand (and I am sure that somebody will correct me if they have evidence to the contrary), that the 30 hour week doesn't include lunch breaks whereas the 40 hour week does. Therefore , there is a 5 hour working week difference.

Does this 5 hour drop mirror the shortfall in local authority pay rises against inflation over the past few years?

Just asking....."

Would have thought it’s the working week excluding lunch beaks. IE 8-5 with one hour lunch break is a 8 hour day not a 9 hour

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By *wosmilersCouple
over a year ago

Heathrowish

Does this 5 hour drop mirror the shortfall in local authority pay rises against inflation over the past few years?

Just asking.....

Would have thought it’s the working week excluding lunch beaks. IE 8-5 with one hour lunch break is a 8 hour day not a 9 hour"

I only asked because a majority of Public Services operate a 42 (or 41 or 40) full time working week with lunch breaks of 1 hour per day but part time hours do not include lunch breaks therefore the equivalent is a 37 (or 36 or 35).

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