South Cambridgeshire District Council (SCDC) ran an initial three-month trial of a four-day week from the start of 2023, in a bid to help to ease acute recruitment and retention challenges. That trial was extended for one year. SCDC then ran a public consultation – which took place earlier this year – before being able to determine the next steps. Four-day week working has continued in the meantime.

As South Cambridgeshire District Council is the employing authority of two services which it shares with Cambridge City Council – Greater Cambridge Shared Planning and Greater Cambridge Shared Waste – these shared service colleagues have also been working a four-day week.

Today (4 July 2025), SCDC has published new independent analysis of its four-day week, which shows almost every service that was monitored either improved or was maintained. The reports also show that the number of applications for jobs rose by more than 120% during the four-day week. Beforehand, only around eight in 10 jobs advertised were filled – sometimes only five out of every 10. The number of workers leaving fell by more than 40% - helping provide benefits to communities through greater stability of services.

Read the full news release and find links to the reports on SCDC's website.

The reports will be discussed at SCDC's upcoming Scrutiny and Overview Committee meeting on Monday 14 July 2025, before SCDC's councillors decide whether the council will become a permanent four-day week employer at SCDC's Full Council meeting three days later.

Due to the shared services with SCDC, Cambridge City Council is also due to consider whether to support the continuation of the four-day week in these services at the city council's Full Council meeting on Thursday 24 July. Any South Cambridgeshire District Council decision would be subject to the outcome of the Cambridge City Council discussions.

Cllr Cameron Holloway, Leader of Cambridge City Council, commented: “Since the start of the trial, we’ve been supportive of South Cambridgeshire’s progressive thinking on tackling the recruitment and retention crisis that affects councils up and down the country. We have always said that what’s most important for us is the standard of service that Cambridge residents receive through our shared waste and planning services.

“Throughout the trial, these services have been delivered to a consistently high standard. Over 99% of household bins are collected on time, and the percentage of household planning applications being determined on time has increased from 75% at the start of the trial to around 95% at the end, which is no small achievement.

“We are also pleased to see the positive impact that the trial appears to have had on staff health and wellbeing.

“We are looking forward to reviewing and discussing the reports at our forthcoming Full Council on 24 July.”