72% of Labour voters support Keir Starmer moving country to shorter working week

The polling, by Survation and commissioned by The Autonomy Institute, asked 2048 adults whether they would support the Government creating a plan to move the UK towards a shorter working week with no loss of pay by 2030.

The results of the poll showed there was support for such a move from 72% of people that voted Labour in last month's General Election and the issue appears to be one which has support across the political spectrum with 59% support from those that voted for Reform UK.

66% of Labour voters also support further trials being rolled out across the public sector to test its feasibility, with only 9% opposed. The calls for more trials in the public sector comes after a successful four-day working week trial by South Cambridgeshire District Council - the first UK council to trial a four-day week.

Campaigners and organisations advocating for a four-day week and flexible working have recently announced a second big UK four-day week pilot to take place in the Autumn.

Research has shown that business performance, productivity and the wellbeing of workers increased for the companies that participated in the last major pilot that took place in the UK in 2022. Earlier this year, research by the Autonomy Institute showed that at least 54 of the 61 companies that took part have maintained the four-day week a year and a half later.

In June, the UK's largest union UNISON officially backed a four-day week at its national conference. Delegates passed a motion to demand the next government takes action to ensure more employers adopt this new way of working.

Will Stronge, Director of Research at Autonomy, said: “Our polling shows that if Keir Starmer were to move ahead with policies to enable the country to transition to a four-day working week, he would have the support of vast swathes of the UK population.

“The UK works longer full-time hours than virtually all of our European neighbours and workers have not experienced a meaningful reduction in their working hours since the 1980s.

“Labour's New Deal for Working People is a good start but what is absent is a serious plan around working time reduction: if the priority is health, decent working conditions and business innovation, this needs to be part of the programme.”

Peter Dowd, Labour MP for Bootle, said: "I fully support Labour's New Deal for Working People yet to fully transform the workplace we need to see policies coming forward for a shorter working week."

"After decades of working some of the longest hours in Europe, British workers are burnt out, overworked and in desperate need of a break."

"A four-day week with no loss of pay would give workers a much better work-life balance and the evidence shows it would also improve productivity."