There has long been an argument for the working week to be cut from five days to four.

Last year, an experiment carried out by one company in New Zealand found it boosted productivity among employees. Microsoft Japan also reported that staff productivity leapt by 40% after a one-month trial.

In 2018, the Trades Union Congress (TUC) reported that “eight in 10 workers (81%) want to reduce working time in the future – with 45% opting for a four-day working week”. As a result, the TUC advised that “the UK should consider how to move to a four-day week over the course of this century”.

And in the 2019 general election, one of Labour’s policies outlined the blueprint for a 32-hour full time working week that would be implemented “over time as the economy grows”.

Now, MPs are reportedly calling for the government to seriously consider the four-day week in response to the coronavirus pandemic.

Four-day working week: MPs are calling for a new way of working