Nice work if you can get it! Quango launches four-day working week for 140 Scottish civil servants (who’ll remain on the same pay)

• South of Scotland Enterprise will take part in 12 month trial – but insists service levels won’t be affected

More than 140 civil servants in Scotland will become the first to experiment with a four-day working week despite warnings the plan will backfire.

Staff will have the number of days they work cut, but remain on the same pay.

South of Scotland Enterprise office, an SNP quango, has now been confirmed as the first to take part in a 12-month trial, which was announced by Humza Yousaf last month.

The organisation’s chief executive, Jane Morrison-Ross, told Holyrood’s economy and fair work committee that resources were stretched because of budget cuts.

Ms Morrison-Ross, whose agency is responsible for economic and community development across the Scottish Borders and Dumfries and Galloway, also warned the delivery of some support programmes was under threat.

South of Scotland Enterprise (SOSE) boss Jane Morrison-Ross said the pilot would benefit productivity and the workforce’s health and wellbeing.

Staff at SOSE will reduce hours from 35 to 32 a week and work over four days

But the agency’s staff will now reduce their working week from 35 hours to 32 hours and work four days between Monday and Friday.

Ms Morrison-Ross said participating in the pilot ‘has the potential to provide benefits to our productivity, our workforce in terms of health and wellbeing, and allowing colleagues to contribute further to the regional economy’.

She added: ‘It is important to emphasise that SOSE will remain a five-day week organisation throughout the pilot, with colleagues available Monday to Friday as they are now. Our level of service to the south of Scotland will not change.’

But Scottish Tory finance spokesman Liz Smith said: ‘The advice issued to civil servants in the South of Scotland Enterprise is typical of the SNP government’s casual disregard for the burden their schemes place on taxpayers who are already struggling with the cost of living and the nationalists’ cuts. 

Instead of focusing on the desperate need to improve growth and productivity, the SNP has opted for what they believe is an eye-catching gimmick, without any regard for the costs involved.

‘The public will find it very hard to accept that civil servants should work less while taxpayers have to pay more.’

SNP economy minister Neil Gray said the identity of other public bodies taking part would be announced soon.

Political economist John McLaren previously told the Mail: ‘There are just certain jobs where you can’t increase productivity by the required amount, or you just can’t do it at all – the health service is an obvious one.’

Colin Borland, of the Federation of Small Businesses, said: ‘If the idea is to pilot paying certain government staff five days’ money for four days’ work, you’d want to see some dramatic productivity gains.’

David Lonsdale, director of the Scottish Retain Consortium, added: ‘Shopkeepers in our larger towns and city centres will be keen to understand what the pilot might mean for trading conditions in these destinations.’

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