Employers will be required to offer a four-day workweek under new plans.

 The government states it will not mandate a four-day workweek for employers, but the Conservatives have expressed concerns that businesses are worried.

Under new government plans, employers will be required to offer flexible working hours, including the option of a four-day workweek, to all employees.

Employees would need to work their full contracted hours, but these could be compressed into a shorter workweek, a practice already in use in some workplaces.

Currently, employees can request flexible hours from the start of their employment, but employers are not legally obligated to agree.

The Labour government aims to mandate that employers offer flexible hours from day one, unless it is "not reasonably feasible."

Deputy Prime Minister Angela Rayner is leading this initiative and plans to introduce the legislation this autumn after consultations with unions and businesses.

The government has clarified that employers will not be forced to adopt a four-day workweek or require employees to work such a schedule.

However, Conservative shadow business secretary Kevin Hollinrake has voiced concerns, stating that businesses are "petrified" by the plans. He criticized the approach as a "French-style union law" that could increase business costs in the UK.

A Department for Business and Trade spokesperson said, "Any changes to employment legislation will be consulted on in partnership with businesses. Our Make Work Pay plan is designed to boost productivity and create conditions for sustained economic growth. Many employers already offer family-friendly conditions to improve morale and retention."

The spokesperson also emphasized that the government is working with businesses and civil society to balance enhancing workers' rights with supporting successful businesses.

Last year, a major trial of the four-day workweek, involving 61 companies, found that 89% of participants continued with the policy a year later. The study by the Autonomy thinktank indicated that project managers and CEOs reported positive impacts from the four-day week.

As part of Labour's "New Deal for Working People," the government has also promised to ban zero-hour contracts, end "fire and rehire" practices, and provide workers with the "right to switch off."