Labour policies chime with our survey

With an election expected within weeks Labour have been setting out policies to help parents at their annual conference.

And their most eye-catching initiative will be welcomed by almost all dads.

The policy appears to fit with the results of our annual survey. The first results of the annual survey carried out by workingmums.co.uk in conjunction with workingdads.co.uk were released yesterday. They show nine out of 10 working dads would welcome a four day week. The same proportion of mothers agreed. Mums and dads say a shorter working week would make it easier for them to juggle their work and family commitments.

Just hours later shadow chancellor John McDonnell announced Labour would aim to introduce a four day week. Workers would do an average of 32 hours per week under the plan. Labour say they’d like to see the shorter week widespread within 10 years. It would be enforced by a new Working Time Commission which will recommend increases in statutory holiday entitlement if the reduction in working hours is not met.

Lord Skidelsky recently published a report for Labour on rolling out a four-day week. Last year’s workingmums.co.uk’s SME winner was Radioactive PR which reduced to a four-day week on full pay.

Childcare offer

At the Brighton conference McDonnell also announced an end to the UK’s opt-out from the European Working Time Directive, a ban on zero hours contracts and the introduction of a  Real Living Wage of over £10 per hour.

Earlier in the conference shadow education secretary Angela Rayner revealed plans to boost free childcare and pre-school education. Labour would give free nursery education to all pre-schoolers aged 2-4 under the scheme. She promised it would be “not childcare on the cheap, to get parents back to work. But an early education service, led by professionals, designed to develop the whole child”.

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