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. Who gets a good deal? Revealing public attitudes to transport in Great Britain

    Transport isn’t working. That’s the message from the British public. This is especially true if you’re on a low income, disabled or living in the countryside. The cost of living crisis has exposed the shortcomings of our transport system,…

  2. Bhargav Srinivasa Desikan on TalkTV discussing AI

    IPPR's Bhargav Srinivasa Desikan on TalkTV discussing his new report on the impact of generative AI on the UK labour market.
  3. Man using AI chatbot

    Transformed by AI: How generative artificial intelligence could affect work in the UK – and how to manage it

    Technological change is a good thing. It has brought exponential gains to living standards and is the foundation of modern society. Yet unmanaged technological change has always come with risks and disruptions.