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Scotland to trial new four-day working week, with no loss of pay
Scotland will be trialing a four-day working week without cutting hours or wages, it has been announced
The Scottish government has announced plans to trial a new four-day working week, with no loss of wages or cut hours for staff - meaning that their take-home pay will stay the same.
It comes as many are realising that the return to work will take some time, given the events of the past year and a half.
Some are seeing this as an opportunity to implement new working practices, with trials for a four-day working week now officially being floated in Scotland.
Holyrood has commissioned a report, out today, which draws on the experience of similar schemes in New Zealand and Iceland for inspiration.
The report seeks to provide some evidence to support why a four-day working week would be a good thing to introduce, with benefits ranging from increased employee productivity to overall staff happiness and wellbeing.
IPPR Scotland (the Institute for Public Policy Research) has said that there would be a system to assess who will qualify for reduced hours, and these could be given as a mix of annual leave entitlement, more public holidays, and parental leave.
The new Scottish trial will reportedly seek to discover how a Low Hours Commission, as recommended by IPPR Scotland, will benefit those in non-office employment and on lower pay.
Those with part-time or condensed working hours will also be included in the trial.
The report also suggests that maximum hours should be capped, and a minimum hours floor introduced.
This idea is not a new one, and has been floated by politicians in the UK before - notably by former Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn as well as by Scottish First Minister Nicola Sturgeon.
Speaking to The Independent earlier this year, Ms. Sturgeon promised to trial the four day working week - and now it appears she is about to deliver on that promise.
She said: “Before the pandemic struck, many people were already worried about work-life balance. We want to do more to support people to achieve a better balance and help businesses employ as many people as possible.
“As part of that, we will establish a £10m fund to support willing companies to explore and pilot the benefits of a four-day working week.”
Feature image - HP Deutschland.
News
Leeds Bradford Airport issue statement as 130 workers prepare to strike
Clementine Hall
Leeds Bradford Airport is set for a standstill as almost 130 workers are set to take industrial action over pay.
If you're planning on catching a flight from Leeds Bradford Airport, then you may want to double check the date.
The Unite members planning on going on strike are a mixture of air traffic control workers, customer experience staff, security staff and cleaners.
The workers involved in the dispute have recently come out of a four-year pay deal, with some of the departments having fallen behind other airports in equivalent roles.
Pay talks have been happening since December 2025, with the airport's formal offer not going far enough to address the lack of pay parity.
Strikes will take place from 03:00 Friday 16 October to 06:00 Sunday 18 October for hourly paid staff and from 06:00 Friday 16 October to 06:00 Sunday 18 October for air traffic control workers.
Strike will mean the entire airport will shut down.
Since the announcement, Leeds Bradford Airport have issued a statement: "Leeds Bradford Airport acknowledges the proposed industrial action due to take place between 16-18 October involving a group of operational colleagues.
"We respect the right of employees to participate in lawful industrial action. However, we are disappointed by this and do not believe strike action is the right way to resolve the issues still under discussion.
"The airport has made what we believe is a fair and responsible offer that is significantly above inflation and reflects both current economic conditions and the need to ensure the long-term sustainability of the business.
"Our priority now is to minimise disruption for customers, many of whom have worked hard and saved for important holidays, family visits and business travel. At this stage we anticipate running near-normal operations during the period.
"Leeds Bradford Airport plays a vital role in connecting Yorkshire to the world. Industrial action has the potential to cause inconvenience for thousands of customers and local businesses who rely on those connections.
"We remain committed to constructive dialogue with Unite and would welcome continued discussions aimed at reaching a resolution. Our focus remains on serving Yorkshire, supporting our colleagues and maintaining safe airport operations."
Read more: Yorkshire Wildlife Park shares major update after man killed in tiger attack
Featured image - The Hoot Leeds
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Yorkshire Wildlife Park shares major update after man killed in tiger attack
Daisy Jackson
Yorkshire Wildlife Park has shared an update this afternoon, after a man died in a horrifying tiger attack at the zoo yesterday.
The wildlife park, which remains closed today, has informed customers of the future of the tiger involved, Altai.
Emergency services rushed to the park near Doncaster at around 1.30pm on Saturday, after reports of a man climbing into the tiger enclosure.
Tragically, the man involved in the tiger attack lost his life.
The zoo has said that its 'thoughts and heartfelt sympathies' remain with the man's family and loved ones.
They also said that its staff team have been left 'deeply affected' by the tiger attack and will be receiving specialist support.
Yorkshire Wildlife Park has now shared that Altai, the male tiger in question, is 'safe and well' and will not be euthanised as a result of the incident.
In a statement, they said: "We would like to thank everyone who has expressed their concern following yesterday's tragic incident.
"Our thoughts and heartfelt sympathies remain with the family and loved ones of the man who sadly lost his life.
"The park will be closed today while the staff team who were deeply affected by events receive specialist support.
"Many, many people have contacted us about Altai, the tiger. We can reassure everyone that he is safe and well and will not be euthanised as a result of this incident."
Read more: Leeds City Council confirms plans to repair historic Lower Kirkgate with work set to begin this month
Featured image: Craig Thomas on Unsplash
Georgina Pellant -
1st September 2021 
