Lambeth Council is exploring a trial of a four-day week for its employees, according to the Telegraph, in what would be a first for a London local authority. Council leader Martin Abrams said the aim would be to cut staff turnover and sickness rates while improving productivity.

Key points

  • Who — Lambeth Council, led by Martin Abrams, is considering the move.
  • Why — The council says retention, turnover and sickness are costly problems.
  • Who else — Lewisham and Hackney mayors are also looking at a four-day week.
  • No date — Green Party delegates were told no start date has been set for a trial.

Abrams, addressing the Green Party's Brighton conference, said council officers had been instructed to look into the proposals and how they might be carried out. He contended that local authorities spend tens of millions of pounds annually on recruitment and staffing. Were there any way to curb that, he said, by taking bold steps and considering options such as a four-day week, the council would pursue it.

Lewisham's mayor, Liam Shrivastava, is reported to have cited South Cambridgeshire District Council, which began a three-month trial of a four-day week in January 2024, then lengthened it to a full year to address recruitment and retention difficulties, before making it permanent in July 2025. At a fringe event he said difficulties were possible, but that he was "very open to a trial or review", and that society overall ought to move towards a four-day week. Zoe Garbett, Hackney's mayor, has likewise confirmed she is looking into how a four-day week might be brought in.

Editor's comment

What it means in practice

For most people in Lambeth, nothing changes yet: this is a proposal, not a policy, and no trial date has been announced. If it goes ahead, the direct effect would fall on council staff and on residents who rely on their services, so the details of how opening hours, bins, housing and social care are covered matter more than the headline.

  • Watch the consultation — council staff and unions should have a say before any trial begins.
  • Check service hours — residents should look out for any change to council opening times or response times.
  • Compare with South Cambridgeshire — its permanent scheme is the closest real-world test of whether this works.