Business and charity leaders urge ministers to lead England’s transition to four-day week
More than 100 business and charity leaders have called on ministers to “lead the country’s transition toward a shorter working week”, after the local government secretary criticised a council for shifting to a four-day work pattern.Steve Reed wrote to South Cambridgeshire district council, the first English council to trial a four-day week, raising concerns about performance and value for money, and expressing his “deep disappointment” over the policy.In a letter leaked to the Telegraph, he claimed an independent report had shown performance “declined in key housing-related services including rent collection, reletting times and tenant satisfaction with repairs”.On Thursday, more than 100 leaders across multiple sectors signed an open letter to the business secretary, coordinated by the 4 Day Week Foundation, urging the government to create a working time council to guide the shift towards a shorter week.“As business leaders, trade union leaders and advocates who have witnessed the successful transition to a four-day working week (with no loss of pay) in many contexts, we can say with confidence that it is not just an idea for the future – it is already delivering results today,” the letter states.
“From different sectors and company sizes, we have all witnessed the same outcome: shorter working weeks are not only viable, but transformative.”The leader of South Cambridgeshire council, Bridget Smith, also hit back at Reed’s comments, saying she was “extremely disappointed” by his letter, and that independently assessed data showed the vast majority of council services had either improved or remained the same during the four-day week trial.She disputed Reed’s claim that staff performance had declined and said her colleagues had done “100% of their work in 32 hours each week” since the four-day week was introduced.“Our financial analysis indicates that as a result of the four-day week we are saving a net £399,000 per annum, in large part due to eliminating our reliance on agency staff to fill positions,” she said in a response to the government.Joe Ryle, the campaign director at the 4 Day Week Foundation, said Reed’s comments were “frankly ridiculous” and made the government look “outdated and stuck in the past”.
Sign up to Headlines UKGet the day’s headlines and highlights emailed direct to you every morningafter newsletter promotion“We know four-day working weeks and flexible working is good for workers and businesses, that has been proven time and time again,The council overall is outperforming, compared to other councils in the country, so cherrypicking these three areas does seem odd and frustrating,” he said,“When it comes to the private sector it has been quite widely embraced, hundreds and hundreds of companies have successfully implemented four-day weeks in the last couple of years, but as soon as it enters the public sector, that is when it seems to be contested,”Another 25 councils across the country are reportedly also planning to trial four-day working weeks next year,The government has no legal power over council working patterns, meaning ministers can apply pressure but not impose a ban on four-day weeks.
Analysis by the Office for National Statistics (ONS) reported that more than 200,000 workers have switched to a four-day week since the Covid-19 pandemic,The 4 Day Week Foundation estimated that at least 430 UK companies have adopted a shorter week in the last few years, which includes over 13,000 workers,
Ofcom criticises O2 for going ‘against the spirit’ of new pricing rules
The UK telecoms regulator has criticised O2 for raising prices for millions of mobile phone customers by more than they were originally told.In an unusual intervention, Ofcom said it was “disappointed” by the phone network’s decision, which “goes against the spirit of our rules”.Up to 15 million O2 customers will see their monthly bills rise by more than they were told when they signed up to their contracts, after the company announced an additional 70p per month increase to its annual price rises from April 2026.The originally stated £1.80 monthly rise will now be almost 40% higher at £2
FTSE 100 winning streak ends as WPP shares hit lowest level since 1998; ECB holds rates at 2% - as it happened
Time to recap.Shares in advertising group WPP fell to their lowest level since 1998, after the FTSE 100 group slashed its revenue guidance for the year and its new chief executive Cindy Rose said its recent performance has been “unacceptable”.The former Microsoft executive has announced a review of the business, saying she was taking action to address the “unacceptable” performance at the company, which has struggled to stem a growing exodus of clients and compete with the AI and data capabilities of its rivals.Over in Frankfurt, the European Central Bank kept interest rates on hold on Thursday for the third meeting in a row despite concerns that a modest economic recovery across the eurozone would fuel inflation.The ECB kept its key deposit rate at 2% despite annual price growth rising to 2
Apple to report earnings as new iPhone lineup reignites worldwide demand
Apple is set to report its first quarterly earnings since the release of its new lineup of iPhones on Thursday. After the company hit a $4tn market value this week for the first time, analysts are expecting it to demonstrate steady financial growth and a strong bottom line despite slow progress on artificial intelligence.The slate of new iPhones, in particular the iPhone 17 and 17 Pro, have reinvigorated demand for Apple’s products, especially in China, where sales had been lagging behind projections. Demand for the ultra-thin iPhone Air remains the subject of speculation, with some analysts saying that the company has lowered production of the device and others asserting it has not.Wall Street is anticipating Apple to report $102bn in revenue and earnings of $2
OpenAI thought to be preparing for $1tn stock market float
OpenAI is reportedly gearing up for a stock market listing valuing the company at $1tn (£76bn) as soon as next year, in what would be one of the biggest ever initial public offerings.The developer behind the hit AI chatbot ChatGPT is considering whether to file for an IPO as soon as the second half of 2026, according to Reuters, which cited people familiar with the matter. The company is thought to be looking to raise at least $60bn.A stock market float would give OpenAI another route to raising cash, supporting ambitions by the chief executive, Sam Altman, to splash trillions of dollars on building datacentres and other forms of infrastructure needed for the rapid buildout of its chatbots.During a staff livestream on Tuesday, Altman was reported to have said: “I think it’s fair to say it [an IPO] is the most likely path for us, given the capital needs that we’ll have
Borthwick hopes England can emulate Bazball mentality for autumn series
England’s rugby players are seeking to emulate the Bazball ethos of their cricketing counterparts and strike a pre-emptive blow for the nation in the runup to the forthcoming Ashes series. Steve Borthwick and members of his coaching staff have had discussions with Brendon McCullum and want their team to make a fast and furious start to the Quilter Nations Series this weekend.There is a collective desire within the England camp to make a statement over the next month and Borthwick and his defence coach Richard Wigglesworth have been picking McCullum’s brain on the best ways to encourage a positive mindset. “We met Brendon McCollum and his coaching staff a few weeks ago,” revealed Wigglesworth. “We had a sit down and a coffee in Manchester which was very enjoyable
Enhanced Games are dangerous and must be stopped, says Wada head
The head of the World Anti-Doping Agency has called on US anti-doping authorities to act to stop the Enhanced Games, describing the new event – which allows athletes to take performance-enhancing drugs in competition - as “dangerous” and “irresponsible”.Witold Banka said the world’s anti-doping regimes had to be “very united” in their opposition to the Enhanced Games and said Usada had a responsibility to push against it. Banka went on to criticise the anti-doping regime in the US, at a time when the US government has withheld crucial funding from Wada’s operations.“Sometimes we don’t know what to say about this ridiculous idea, because from the ethical point of view, from the moral point of view, how is it possible that people come to agree to compete, taking all these prohibited substances?”, Banka said. “It’s completely against everything that we are doing
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