The date for the special scrutiny meeting on South Cambridgeshire District Council’s 4-day working week has been finally confirmed after Conservative councillors intervened.
It means the results of the council’s 4-day week will finally be released to the public.
Lib Dem-run South Cambridgeshire District Council has been paying staff 37 hours for 32 hours work since March 2024 – with staff previously working just 30 hours per week for full pay since January 2023.
The administration ran a so-called consultation on its controversial 4-day week in January 2025. Councillors are set to make a decision on whether the 4-day week should be made permanent in July.
Despite attempting to evade scrutiny, the Lib Dems have finally agreed to send the 4-day week results to a special scrutiny meeting at the council on Monday 14 July at 7pm where the results of the 4-day week trial will be made public for the first time.
Cllr Heather Williams, Leader of the Opposition at South Cambridgeshire District Council, reacted to this news:
“To have the meeting so close to full council does make me question whether the administration genuinely wishes to be scrutinised on this important issue.
“Whatever people’s views on the 4-day week, it is a fundamentally different way of working paid for at taxpayer’s expense.
“This should have the right process, the right scrutiny, but the Lib Dems are not willing to do it unfortunately. This is disappointing but not surprising.
“We have had to drag them kicking and screaming at times to get access to information and to get this meeting, despite the good efforts of some.
“But despite all of this, we will do our best to hold the administration to account and fully scrutinise their plans to pay council staff not to work every week.”
