South Cambs calls special meeting after government steps up action against the 4-day week trial
The council has faced backlash over employees working 4-days a week
An Extraordinary Meeting of South Cambridgeshire District Council has been called after the government stepped up its action against the four-day week trial.
A Best Value Notice was issued to the authority earlier this month by the Department for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities.
The notice is a formal notification of the government’s concerns about the trial and whether it is offering value for money.
It requires the district council to share information of the impact of the trial on individual employee productivity and the council’s services as a whole.
The district council began a four-day week trial at the start of the year to try and improve the recruitment and retention of staff.
The authority’s leadership has faced backlash over the trial , including previous letters from Local Government Minister Lee Rowley, calling for the trial to end.
Following the issuing of the Best Value Notice, Mr Rowley said: “We are extremely concerned South Cambridgeshire District Council continues to experiment with taxpayers’ money by offering full time pay for part time work.
“We have been clear that the government does not support the so-called four day working week and, despite issuing clear guidance, this council has chosen to ignore it.
“The government is making clear this needs to end and, although we hope not to have to, we will take further action should that prove to be necessary.”
Councillor Bridget Smith, leader of the district council, hit back at the notice accusing the government of ‘overreaching’ and “putting politics before progress”.
She later confirmed at a cabinet meeting that the four-day week trial would be stopped if there was a downturn in the council’s performance.
A district council meeting is now scheduled for November 20, to discuss the Best Value Notice issued by the government.