Title

HR

Job applications rise amid four-day working week trial

The number of applications for jobs rose by more than 120% since South Cambridgeshire DC started a four-day week trial, a report has found.

 © PHOTOBUAY / shutterstock 

© PHOTOBUAY / shutterstock 

The number of applications for jobs rose by more than 120% since South Cambridgeshire DC started a four-day week trial, a report has found.

Carried out by the universities of Salford, Bradford and Cambridge, the analysis revealed that the number of workers leaving fell by more than 40% and the quality of 21 out of 24 services improved or stayed the same.

The council said it no longer had to rely on agency workers, which has resulted in a yearly saving of nearly £400,000.

Council leader Bridget Smith said: ‘We started this innovative trial due to significant recruitment and retention challenges. These were particularly acute for us, having to compete with higher private sector pay in an area of high employment and housing costs.'

 

HR

The challenges, opportunities and risks of devo

By Martin Ford | 29 January 2026

The Government’s drive for devolution is set to radically alter the landscape of local government. The National Audit Office (NAO) and The MJ brought togethe...

HR

Rebuilding the scaffolding to repair communities

By Paul Marinko | 28 January 2026

Community tensions have been rising in the last year, a new survey by Starfish Search has found. Paul Marinko talks to councils about the scale of the challe...

HR

Those were the days

By Martin Tucker | 22 January 2026

Having spent the last 25 years helping local authorities to hire senior leaders, Martin Tucker takes a nostalgic and light-hearted look back on how things us...

HR

Reed says councils should not be offering 'full-time pay for part-time work'

By Dan Peters | 22 December 2025

Local authorities should not be offering full-time pay for part-time work, communities secretary Steve Reed has told council leaders.

Popular articles by William Eichler