The hidden downsides of a four-day week controversially championed by a Lib Dem council has been laid bare in a whistleblower’s letter.
The individual - who requested anonymity for fear of censure by their bosses and even family members aghast at the ‘lazy’ work practices - accuses South Cambridgeshire District Council (SCDC) of creating a ‘sad’ and ‘lonely’ place to work under the experiment, which provides full pay for 80 per cent of contracted time.
The truncated hours have actually made work more ‘intense’, the council officer reveals, while team working and building workplace relationships is almost impossible, especially when combined with flexible working practices which create a ‘lottery’ over which colleagues are in on any day.
The excoriating critique adds they avoid telling outsiders about their shortened week to avoid being called a ‘scrounger’, stating: ‘I’m ashamed and afraid to be labelled “lazy” or get remarks like “Typical council, hardly working”.’
The letter was sent to Tory opposition leader Heather Williams, days after the Mail revealed one-in-six staff at SCDC admitted taking second jobs on their day off - despite the council insisting the time is used to ‘recover and re-energise’ for their job.
Ms Williams said: ‘This is what happens when you use humans as guinea pigs.’
Independent councillor Dan Lentell added: ‘It confirms what opposition councillors have been saying for months and years.
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