The Guardian’s Post

Could you condense 5 days of work into a 4 day working week? In the largest public sector trial conducted to date, the results seem positive . Can you do 100% of your work in 80% of the time if you know you will get an additional day off? Well, yes it would seem so. We may need to rethink the whole industrialised concept of the ‘weekend’ at this rate. #facilitiesmanagement #4dayweek #jobs #workingfromhome #publicsector

🚨NEW: Largest UK public sector trial of four-day week sees huge benefits 📈 South Cambridgeshire Council's #4dayweek pilot led to fewer refuse collectors quitting and faster planning decisions, more rapid benefits processing & quicker call answering 📊 New analysis of productivity metrics from the Universities of Cambridge and Salresulted found that shorter working hours improved performance in 11 out of 24 areas, saw little or no change in 11 areas, and worsening of performance in only two areas 📊 - Staff turnover fell by 39%, saving £371,500 a year, mostly on agency staff costs. - Regular household planning applications were decided about a week and a half earlier. - Approximately 15% more major planning application decisions were completed within the correct timescale - The time taken to process changes to housing benefit and council tax benefit claims also fell.

Dive into the heart of the 2023 #ConservativePartyConference with our Campaigns Advisor, Patrick Milnes. Discover the valuable insights and moments that transpired during the Prime Minister's Farewell Tour. Amidst the quiet atmosphere and subdued mood, REC was at the forefront of critical discussions on policy recommendations and priorities. Our event with the Social Market Foundation, featuring Rt Hon Chris Skidmore and Employment Minister Guy Opperman, shed light on the vital topic of green skills. Insights from private conversations with MPs revealed an appetite for welfare reform, tax changes to bolster self-employment, and enhanced career guidance. Technology and AI were positioned as potential saviours for labour and skill shortages, adding a dash of optimism to the discussions. The most significant announcement was the decision to scrap the HS2 network to Manchester, redirecting the funds to Network North, which aims to revitalise Northern England's infrastructure, creating a self-reliant North disconnected from London's shadows. 🗣️ Sunak's speech touched on various crucial topics, including inflation, small boats, smoking, and education. He didn't hold back in criticising the opposition, emphasising the Conservative Party as the party of trust, values, and business. Read Patrick's blog for an in-depth look into the conference and the future of Conservative politics.https://bit.ly/3S0m534 #ConservativeConference #2023Politics #PartyInsights

Talked before about the #fourdayweek - this trial by South Cambridgeshire District Council has seen some interesting results. Running for 15 months, the trial has seen improvements in performance in 11 out of 24 areas, little or no change in 11 areas and worsening of performance in two areas. The areas where improvements have been made include cutting staff turnover by almost 40% and increasing the speed of decisions for household planning applications, while rent collection has worsened slightly. Expect to see more four-day week trials based on these results. You can read the detail in the article below. https://lnkd.in/eVtRNwVd

What is a 'Best-Value Notice'? We've been asked that question a fair bit over the past few days in light of the Notice issued to South Cambridgeshire District Council by the Secretary of State for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities over the council's trial of a four-day working week for staff. This article by Ingrid Koehler (with input from Greg Stride) looks at the practicalities of a best-value notice, but also the ins and outs of this particular case. If #localgov is always stopped from innovating and trying new things, "we’ll never find out what works...[and] no one is closer to the challenges or the solutions than local government." What is a Best Value Notice? (article open to all) https://lnkd.in/egkn_Vwd

📌 South Cambridgeshire District Council carried out the largest four day work week trial in Britain's Public Sector, some key findings include: 💷 ⁃ Staff turnover fell by 39%, helping save £371,500 in a year.. 🏘 ⁃ Regular household planning applications were decided about a week and a half earlier.. ✅ ⁃ Approx. 15% more major planning application decisions were completed within the correct timescale, compared with before. ⌛ ⁃ The time taken to process changes to housing benefit and council tax benefit claims fell. However it's not all positive... 💷 📉 ⁃ Rent collection for council housing worsened, this was attributed to the cost of living crisis. 🏡 📉 ⁃ The speed with which empty council houses were relet fell slightly, from 28 to 30 days on average. What are your thoughts on these results? Let us know in the comments. Full article here: https://lnkd.in/eAABpB56

Shuffles make my stomach hurt. As the buzz builds about who will be in and who will be out, I struggle to maintain my usual enthusiasm for parliamentary process. But this is not a “shuffles don’t matter” post. In fact, I think shuffles are significantly more important to the day-to-day machinery of government than what is usually reported about “resets” and “new directions”. But I also think shuffles are at their core - sad.  Here’s why: If eight offices are affected by a shuffle, it’s reasonable to assume that over a 100 political staff will be caught up in it. That’s 100 people (from Chiefs of Staff to Parliamentary Secretaries Assistants) who will receive a very formal letter from the department they work at reminding them that they serve at the pleasure of the Minister and that the Minister no longer works there. The letter will say that their pay and benefits will continue for a couple of weeks at which time they will no longer be an employee of the Government of Canada – unless they happen to find themselves in the employ of another Minister within that timeframe. And so it begins: - The first people to be okay are the staff who show up at Rideau Hall with the Minister. They’ve got a job. - The next people to be okay are the senior staff who have been given a heads up from the Centre that their particular skillset fits nicely with the new plan and new direction of whatever office they’ve been tapped for. - If you worked for a Minister moved from a small Department to a big Department – jackpot. You and that team are headed immediately to comfier offices (we will get to the harder work later). - If you worked for a Minister moved from a big Department to a small Department – you better hope you’re one of the few taken to drown the Minister’s sorrows at the Met after Rideau Hall, otherwise there’s no room for you because the team from the bullet above is ready to take your office - now. - If you worked for a Minister tossed from Cabinet, you wear that invisible scarlet letter forever. And from there a game of musical chairs begins with significantly fewer chairs than staffers had been contemplating since the Victoria Day break week. New Ministers need new staff. There’s always a hope that you can catch on with one of them. But they haven’t spent their time on the backbench dreaming of working with castoffs. They’ve got big plans and there’s a kid in the riding that’s never been to Ottawa who needs a senior role pronto. In the end, by the time the hourglass runs out on that letter from the Department, the overwhelming majority of current staffers will still be staffers, but not without some sleepless nights. Some will choose to leave voluntarily, while others will be disappointed by only lateral options. But a couple will be simply out of luck and their time on the Hill will end. So while our public affairs community breathlessly reports out on this upcoming shuffle, I urge us all to think about the staff caught up in the tide.

It was great to be part of the Pricing for Profit webinar yesterday with Association of Bureau Managers . I think it was the livliest webinar chat I've ever seen so we've all got a lot to say on the matter. We covered everything from charging for extra work all the way up to payroll not being a regulated industry and why people don't understand just how important payroll is - there would be no company if your employees weren't being paid after all! Thank you for inviting me Barry Matthews Looking forward to many more. #payroll #payrollisacareer #payrollservices #webinar

Happy LABOR DAY!! 👮♀️👷♂️🧑⚕️👨🌾👨🍳👩🏫🧑🏭🧑🚒👩🚀🧑✈️ Labor Day on the first Monday of every September recognizes the men and women who labor to build this country. Through a time-honored tradition with roots in the coordinated efforts of the labor movement of the 1800s, we salute the American workforce. #LaborDay Since the founding of the United States, the country has relied on its workforce for its infrastructure. From its streets 🚜and buildings🏛 to its transportation 🚘and security🚓, the nation runs on labor. The labor of what we create, build and harvest fuels our education and inspires our dreams. This National Day also signals the official end of summer☀️.....although the termperature still reaks of it!! Those who work hard, need time to play, too. With the school year starting and summer winding down, the long weekend beckons. They use the extra day earned to spend with families and catch some R&R. Some will explore cities 🏟while others will seek outdoor adventure🏌️. No matter where it’s spent, it’s well earned. HOW TO OBSERVE LABOR DAY: Many families spend Labor Day weekend on vacation. They pack the campgrounds 🏕full or explore tourist towns for one last hurrah! As you celebrate this day, consider and appreciate your hard work and how it has added to the well-being and prosperity of our country. Use #LaborDay to post on social media. HISTORY OF LABOR DAY: On September 5, 1882, Labor Day first honored workers in New York City. The observance later moved to the first Monday in September in 1884. However, the observance wasn’t officially recognized by any government entity until 1885 when a municipal ordinance was passed. Interestingly, Oregon recognized the day in 1887 before New York state’s bill passed. As more states recognized the observance, its popularity grew. Then, in 1894, Congress declared the day to be a national observance. #yourlifelady #medicalinsurance #affordablecoverage #medicare #medicaid #government #healthinsurance #healthcare #family #healthcoverage #medicalcoverage #madison #huntsville

Quite surprised by just how good these results are. Any more large-scale trials in the pipeline? **Staff turnover fell by 39%, helping save £371,500 in a year, mostly on agency staff costs. **Regular household planning applications were decided about a week and a half earlier. **Approximately 15% more major planning application decisions were completed within the correct timescale, compared with before. **The time taken to process changes to housing benefit and council tax benefit claims fell. https://lnkd.in/ejTdHSfg