Question to the Department for Business and Trade:

To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, if she will make an assessment of the implications for her policies of the findings of the recent Four Day Week pilot involving 61 UK businesses.

The Government does not believe there can be a ‘one size fits all’ approach to work arrangements. That is why our policy leaves space for employers and employees to agree suitable arrangements for their particular circumstances.

The Right to Request Flexible Working allows employees to apply for changes to the hours, timing or location of work. In December 2022, the Government published its response to the consultation “making flexible working the default”[1]. This committed to make changes to the Right to Request Flexible Working to boost availability, several of which are being taken forward through the Employment Relations (Flexible Working) Bill[2].

[1] https://www.gov.uk/government/consultations/making-flexible-working-the-default

[2] https://bills.parliament.uk/bills/3198