Personally, I don’t see how it helps in their current political climate. Inflation and energy costs are a huge problem in the UK right now and that would lead to the assumption that people need to earn more. Going to a 4 day work week seems counter to the idea of earning more. Perhaps at the very high end (corporate management, etc) where companies can afford keep salaries the same without expecting more output, but at the low end of the workforce, there’s no way in hell that employers will pay employees for “unworked” days.
So some people might have an extra day off, but if they can’t pay their rent, it doesn’t really help anything. Those workers will pick up a 3rd or 4th job and nothing will change.
Unfortunate, but I think the UK has still a ways to sink before it comes to grips with the current reality and starts to climb out of it.
There is also aspect of having 1 extra day and no money to do anything meaningful with it.
UK wages are already poor and cost of living is insane.
Are you going to spend that day in your sorry mould ridden flat with other housemates also skint with nothing else to do?
Where do you even go? Shops are dead, public transport is unaffordable and state of it resembles soviet union near its collapse, entertainment, attractions out of reach. Sure there are some free things, but how many times you will go there before it is boring?
So I don't know, 4 days at main employer and 1 day doing Deliveroo? Selling weed? Only Fans?
"doing ok" or "barely keeping head above water". Is not a good look, when you have people doing demanding engineering jobs that require skill and years of education, that they have to keep themselves up to date learning past 9-5. I know married senior developer with two kids, 20 years of experience, still saving for deposit for a flat (as house is now out of reach). Rents are going up and so the property prices so they can't catch up. His wife can't work full time, because of children and nursery etc is unaffordable. They have not been on holidays since Covid and employer is talking about downsizing. Man is 40 and looks like 50 due to stress.
I know a couple of developers who are single, yes they do "okay", but they are nowhere near in a position to start a family. It's grim.
Then you have wage compression where really doing warehouse job doesn't get you much worse living standard than typical developer. You will have shittier flat, maybe extra housemate and you will shop in Aldi instead of Waitrose. That's very much the difference right now.
So some people might have an extra day off, but if they can’t pay their rent, it doesn’t really help anything. Those workers will pick up a 3rd or 4th job and nothing will change.
Unfortunate, but I think the UK has still a ways to sink before it comes to grips with the current reality and starts to climb out of it.