This week, Joel James MS has joined the BBC Cymru Wales Politics Wales programme alongside Jess Turner from UNISON to discuss a four-day week trial.
Accepting that the pilot does have some benefits including resignation rates going down and people taking less time off work, Joel said it would be naïve to overlook this, however, he stated that whilst a four-day week benefits those who are office-based, it may also disadvantage those on the frontline i.e. teachers and NHS employees who may be put under immense stress if this pilot does come into force. A two-tier society of employment may therefore be created.
Joel also raised concerns regarding productivity and burnout which haven’t yet been looked into fully due to the short-term lengths of the trials conducted to date.
Speaking after his contribution, Joel said:
It was great to be involved with Sunday’s BBC Cymru Wales Politics Wales programme. It was a brilliant opportunity to briefly discuss the Welsh Conservative position on the 4 day working week and the concerns that I have about this.
