Greens Support 4-day Week

A recent review conducted by Oxford City Council has found that it was facing a significant staffing risk due to high staff turnover, poor recruitment, sickness and an aging workforce.

Staff turnover last year was a staggering 15%, absenteeism was as high as 12 days per employee with more than a quarter of all absences due to stress, anxiety and depression.

The Council is also facing a recruitment problem caused by a wide range of issues including the high cost of living in Oxford.

According to the report, if left unaddressed these issues will spiral out of control with a further impact on morale, turnover, stress and absenteeism.

Says Green Councillor and Group Leader Chris Jarvis, “This is a staffing crisis that has been long in the making. The Council needs to think radically if it is to recruit and retain quality staff. We need to being looking at Councils such as South Cambridgeshire who trialled a four-day week and found it to be a huge success; making staff more motivated and productive.”

The Greens proposed exploring a four-day week early last year but Labour-run Oxford City Council, has failed, so far, to take it forward.