Reduce maximum weekly working hours to 32 & introduce statutory overtime pay — 2,076 signatures. Status: open.
Amend the Working Time Regulations to reduce the legal maximum baseline working week to 32 hours from 48 hours, maintaining current pay levels (100:80:100 model). Make it a legal requirement that any hours worked beyond 32 hours a week be paid statutory overtime across all sectors.
A 40-hour work week can cause extreme burnout. UK trials by Cambridge/Salford universities proved that a four-day week model is an economic success: businesses saw a 35% revenue increase compared to a similar period from previous years, a 65% drop in sick days, and a 57% drop in turnover. Crucially, reducing the legal hour limit could ensure that 24/7 sector staff (like nurses) receive a vital pay rise through overtime for hours worked beyond 32. We need time back, not compressed hours. The data proves we can work smarter, not longer.
View this petition on the official UK Parliament website