Kemi Badenoch railed against the four-day working week and got owned into the next one – 15 efficient takedowns
Another day, another sign that Tory leader Kemi Badenoch prizes performative Reform-a-like policies over things that actually work in the real world – in this case, the four-day working week.
Pilots of the alternative timetable have found an increase in productivity and staff wellbeing, higher retention and attendance, and a reduced necessity to hire cover staff at agency rates, saving money overall. The workers’ hours aren’t reduced – simply redistributed.
None of that has prevented the Tories making it a key policy to ban those arrangements in the public sector.
Kemi Badenoch put her spin on it.
A council job with a four-day working week for five days’ pay.
Nice if you can get it. Not so nice when taxpayers are paying the bill.
We deserve full-time services for full-time pay.
The @Conservatives will ban this ridiculous policy and get Britain working again. https://t.co/BOZmLV1ie5
— Kemi Badenoch (@KemiBadenoch) April 8, 2026
It is full-time. Tweeters pointed that out, along with a couple of other facts.
1.
MPs received a 5% payrise at the beginning of April, and did Keml refuse it? of course not.
Nice if you can get it. Not so nice when taxpayers are paying the bill https://t.co/7wixwi6dKW
— Jason Reid (@JasonReidx) April 8, 2026
2.
Compressed working weeks are a fairly common in the private sector and help working parents and carers. I used to work in primary schools, so I’ll try to explain it in a way you might understand. A 40 hour working week can be 4×10 hour days or 5x 8 hour days. I hope this helps. https://t.co/Vgao3GHukt
— Ruth Swailes (@SwailesRuth) April 8, 2026
3.
Woman on £145k for 150 days a year bemoaning average joes working conditions. 🤔 https://t.co/ir2Bf36t11
— ceri (@ceritheviking) April 8, 2026
4.
Breaking News:
Leader of the Opposition is unable to count to 40.
Which is the number of hours people work whether they do a 4×10 week or a 5×8 week. https://t.co/noKWoU1qKb
— John O'Connell (@jdpoc) April 8, 2026
5.
Same old Tory bullshit. You lot never learn. It’s a compressed week. Same amount of hours as five days instead done over four. So long as there is coverage across all five days within teams then what does it matter. No one is getting paid more for less. No one is doing any less…
— SullyTech (@SullyDrummer) April 8, 2026
6.
They were getting the same amount (and more) of work done, so what difference does it make? Why do Tories hate the idea of people having a good quality of life?
— Ineluctable Chris (@BoveFromAbove) April 8, 2026
7.
I work in local gov. In my team we have
One person doing 4 days (compressed hours)
One person doing 3.5 days (reduced hours after returning from maternity leave)
One person doing 2 or 3 days depending on what week it is (flexible retirement)It's called flexible working
— Simon Parry (@sparry951) April 8, 2026
8.
There’s only one council in the country doing this and the experiment showed increased productivity and a reduction in staff turnover which reduced staffing costs overall due to less agency staff being needed. Thought you wanted increased productivity and lower costs.
— OldishBird (@oldishbird1) April 8, 2026
9.
I knew Kemi was stupid, but I didn’t know she was this stupid.. https://t.co/RNtgDyqFQj
— Leon (@CameraLeon) April 8, 2026
10.
Well you can't complain you politicians literally work half a year and get a full years wages and expenses, nice if you can get it l guess, the cheek of these politicians. I bet your wages has been in line with inflation and risen every year with no breaks.
— Chris (#Scandal still NO Justice PO GF WR) (@Chrisviews43) April 8, 2026
11.
They’re working the same amount of hours you absolute fucking flip flop! https://t.co/NLtdfcyKbJ
— French Tone (@_Xabi__A1onso) April 8, 2026
12.
Nice if you can get it. Not so nice when taxpayers are paying the bill
The kids get a bedroom each? pic.twitter.com/BCIhNXazX0
— Sean Davids (@MancTotter) April 8, 2026
13.
Kemi mostly works a 4 day week (friday sittings are rare), and gets around 17weeks holiday a year, a very generous pension, and a golden handshake if she gets fired by her constituents.
I suggest people remind her to reel her neck in when it comes to defining 'deserving'. https://t.co/DY04ZMcWd1— Hoss (@Hossylass) April 8, 2026
14.
What working week does this equate to? pic.twitter.com/HM0PPreeIj
— Lewis Thomas Hughes (@lewisthughes) April 8, 2026
15.
Based on trials involving over 10,000 workers across 15+ countries, the 4-day work week produces equal or better productivity with dramatically improved employee wellbeingcompared to the traditional 5-day schedule.
— Dr S P Newman (@W12Newman) April 8, 2026
In case you were wondering how hard Ms Badenoch works, here’s her current schedule.
Kemi is currently on holiday from the 26th March to the 13th April. The taxpayer is paying the bill. https://t.co/r4n36z9lHE
— Florence Lox 🇬🇧🏴 (@floboflo) April 8, 2026
Nice if you can get it.
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