Largest UK public sector trial of four-day week sees huge benefits, research finds
-South Cambridgeshire experiment led to fewer refuse collectors quitting and faster planning decisions

研究發(fā)現，英國公共部門對四天工作制的最大嘗試帶來了巨大好處
——南劍橋郡的實驗導致了更少的垃圾收集者辭職和更快的規(guī)劃決策


(Council rubbish bins in Cambourne, Cambridge.)

（劍橋大學坎伯恩市議會的垃圾桶。）
新聞：

In the largest public sector trial of the four-day week in Britain, fewer refuse collectors quit and there were faster planning decisions, more rapid benefits processing and quicker call answering, independent research has found.

獨立研究發(fā)現，在英國規(guī)模最大的為期四天的公共部門試驗中，實現了更少的垃圾收集者辭職，更快的規(guī)劃決策，更快的福利處理和更快的電話接聽。

South Cambridgeshire district council’s controversial experiment with a shorter working week resulted in improvements in performance in 11 out of 24 areas, little or no change in 11 areas and worsening of performance in two areas, according to analysis of productivity before and during the 15-month trial by academics at the universities of Cambridge and Salford.

劍橋大學和索爾福德大學的學者對南劍橋郡區(qū)議會為期15個月的試驗前后的生產力進行了分析，結果顯示，縮短工作周這一備受爭議的試驗在24個領域中有11個領域的表現有所改善，在11個領域幾乎沒有變化，在兩個領域的表現有所惡化。
原創(chuàng)翻譯：龍騰網 http://mintwatchbillionaireclub.com 轉載請注明出處


The trial by the Liberal Democrat-controlled authority drew a furious reaction from the Conservative government, with a minister telling the borough leader, Bridget Smith, to “end your experiment immediately”, complaining that it would not give value for money for local taxpayers.

由自由民主黨控制的（地方）政府進行的實驗引起了保守黨政府的強烈反應，一位大臣告訴自治市領導人布里奇特·史密斯“立即結束你的實驗”，并抱怨說這不會讓當地納稅人的錢物有所值。

The Tory former local MP, Anthony Browne, who was defeated by a Liberal Democrat in last week’s general election, had attacked the trial as “an ideological crusade”.

保守黨前地方議員安東尼·布朗在上周的大選中被自由民主黨擊敗，他抨擊這次實驗是“一場意識形態(tài)的十字軍東征”。

The multi-year study of the trial involving about 450 desk staff plus refuse collectors found:

這項歷時數年的研究涉及約450名前臺工作人員和垃圾收集人員，結果發(fā)現：

1、Staff turnover fell by 39%, helping save ￡371,500 in a year, mostly on agency staff costs.
2、Regular household planning applications were decided about a week and a half earlier.
3、Approximately 15% more major planning application decisions were completed within the correct timescale, compared with before.
4、The time taken to process changes to housing benefit and council tax benefit claims fell.

1、員工流動率下降39%，一年節(jié)省371500英鎊，主要是代理人員成本。
2、常規(guī)的家庭計劃申請在一個半星期前就決定了。
3、與以前相比，在正確的時間范圍內完成了大約15%的重大規(guī)劃申請決策。
4、處理住房福利和市政稅福利申請變更所需的時間減少了。

On the downside, rent collection for council housing worsened slightly, although this was attributed to the cost of living crisis. The speed with which empty council houses were relet fell slightly, from 28 to 30 days on average. The results were adjusted for the impact of the Covid-19 pandemic.

不利的一面是，廉租房的租金收取情況略有惡化，盡管這是由于生活成本危機造成的?？罩昧夥康某鲎馑俣嚷杂邢陆担瑥钠骄?8天降至30天。實驗結果根據新冠大流行的影響進行了調整。

Joe Ryle, the director of the 4 Day Week Campaign said the results heralded “a huge opportunity for councils and organisations across the public sector to start planning for a four-day working week”.

“4天工作周”運動的負責人喬·賴爾說，實驗結果預示著“公共部門的議會和組織開始規(guī)劃一周工作4天的巨大機會”。

The new Labour government is expected to push the NHS to work longer hours to reduce waiting lists, with more operations at weekends, and is preparing to speed up the planning process to boost housebuilding.

預計新的工黨政府將推動國家醫(yī)療體系延長工作時間，以減少等待名單，并在周末增加運營，并準備加快規(guī)劃過程，以促進住房建設。
原創(chuàng)翻譯：龍騰網 http://mintwatchbillionaireclub.com 轉載請注明出處


Productivity has flatlined in the British economy since the pandemic after historically rising at about 2% annually. In 2019, Labour under Jeremy Corbyn included plans to cut the working week to 32 hours with no loss of pay in its manifesto, but this year the party said nothing about enabling a four-day week in its latest promises. It has pledged to deliver economic growth and productivity growth across the economy to enable greater spending on public services without raising income tax, national insurance and VAT.

自疫情以來，英國經濟的生產率一直處于停滯狀態(tài)，而歷史上的年增長率約為2%。2019年，杰里米·科爾賓領導的工黨在其宣言中包括了將每周工作時間削減至32小時且不減薪的計劃，但今年該黨在其最新承諾中沒有提及實現四天工作周。它承諾在不提高所得稅、國民保險和增值稅的情況下，實現整個經濟的經濟增長和生產率增長，從而增加公共服務支出。

Employers everywhere from Sweden to the United Arab Emirates and New Zealand to the US have experimented with the four-day week. But last week the government of Greece announced a new six-day week policy for private companies aimed at boosting the economy amid a shrinking population and shortage of skilled workers. It is seeking longer hours from workers to turbocharge productivity.

從瑞典到阿拉伯聯合酋長國，從新西蘭到美國，世界各地的雇主都在嘗試四天工作制。但上周，希臘政府宣布了一項針對私營企業(yè)的新六天工作制政策，目的是在人口減少和熟練工人短缺的情況下提振經濟。該公司正在尋求延長工人的工作時間，以提高生產率。

Under the South Cambridgeshire trial, which began in January 2023 and ran to April 2024, staff were expected to carry out 100% of their work in 80% of the time for 100% of the pay. The full trial cut staff turnover by 39% and scores for employees’ physical and mental health, motivation and commitment all improved, the study showed.

南劍橋郡的試點從2023年1月開始，一直持續(xù)到2024年4月，員工需要在80%的時間內完成100%的工作，獲得100%的工資。研究顯示，整個試驗將員工流失率降低了39%，員工的身心健康、積極性和敬業(yè)度得分都有所提高。

“Coupled with the hundreds of thousands of pounds of taxpayer money that we have saved, improved recruitment and retention and positives around health and wellbeing, this brave and pioneering trial has clearly been a success,” said John Williams, the lead council member for resources. “We know we cannot compete on salary alone and have needed to find bold new ways of tackling our recruitment and retention issues.”

“再加上我們節(jié)省了數十萬英鎊的納稅人的錢，改善了招聘和留住員工，并在健康和福利方面取得了積極的進展，這一勇敢而開拓性的試驗顯然是成功的，”負責資源的委員會首席成員約翰·威廉姆斯說?！拔覀冎溃覀儫o法僅靠薪酬來競爭，我們需要找到大膽的新方法來解決我們的招聘和留住問題。”

Mike Davey, the leader of Cambridge city council, which shares planning services with South Cambridgeshire, described the trial as “a win-win-win situation, with improved service delivery for residents, reduced staffing costs for the council, and a better work-life balance for council staff.”

與南劍橋郡共享規(guī)劃服務的劍橋市議會領導人邁克·戴維稱，這一試驗是“一個三贏的局面，既改善了居民的服務提供，又降低了議會的人力成本，還改善了議會工作人員的工作與生活平衡。”

Scores of private companies have already adopted the approach, with many finding it helps staff retention. Ryle said the South Cambridgeshire results “prove once and for all that a four-day week with no loss of pay absolutely can succeed in a local government setting”.

許多私營公司已經采用了這種方法，許多公司發(fā)現這有助于留住員工。賴爾說，南劍橋郡的結果“徹底證明，在地方政府環(huán)境下，四天工作周不減薪絕對可以成功”。