Ministers have ‘no plans’ to force businesses to accept four-day week demands

For free real time breaking news alerts sent straight to your inbox sign up to our breaking news emails Sign up to our free breaking news emails Sign up to our free breaking news emails SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy policy The Government has “no plans” to force businesses to accept employees’ four-day working week requests. Conservative shadow business secretary Kevin Hollinrake claimed businesses were “petrified” about Labour’s Make Work Pay plans, which The Telegraph reported could include new rights for workers to demand a four-day week. We are working in close partnership with business and civil society to find the balance between improving workers’ rights while supporting the brilliant businesses that pay people’s wages Government spokesperson The Whitehall spokesperson said: “We have no plans to impose a four-day working week on employers or employees. “Labour must listen to businesses who are petrified about day one employment rights and bringing in the four-day week through the back door.” A Labour source said “the Conservatives pledged to make flexible working the default then failed to do so”, a reference to the party’s winning 2019 manifesto which Boris Johnson fronted, which read: “We will encourage flexible working and consult on making it the default unless employers have good reasons not to.” The Labour source also told The Telegraph: “We’ll build on their existing legislation to ensure flexibility is a genuine default, except where it is not reasonably feasible for employers to agree.”