Changing times: The future of working time in Scotland

Article

In Scotland, a newly established political commitment to reducing working time presents an opportunity to progress the working time debate beyond high-level aspirations to achieve a four-day working week.

How we work is changing. The Covid-19 pandemic has caused acute disruption to workplaces across Scotland – but in response, we have seen workforces and employers come together to carve out new ways of organising work, from changing shift patterns to new forms of flexibility. The new Scottish government has committed to exploring a shorter working week as a step towards a ‘wellbeing economy’, opening up a new conversation about how we organise work.

Across Scotland’s workforce, too many people struggle to make ends meet due to a lack of available hours or are pushed towards working excessively long hours due to low pay and a lack of security. In this report, we propose a roadmap towards shorter working time in Scotland, while recognising that any progressive vision for how we work in the future must also prioritise the twin challenges of over-employment and under-employment.

Related items

  1. A close-up photo of a house flying an England flag from an upstairs window

    Reclaiming Britain: The nation against ethno-nationalism

    How can progressives respond to the increasing ethnonationalist narratives of the political right?
  2. Street scene in financial district, London

    Rule of the market: How to lower UK borrowing costs

    The UK is paying a premium on its borrowing costs that ‘economic fundamentals’, such as the sustainability of its public finances, cannot fully explain. 
  3. A mother and child from behind looking out of a window

    Restoring security: Understanding the effects of removing the two-child limit across the UK

    The government’s decision to lift the two-child limit marks one of the most significant changes to the social security system in a decade.