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The Employment Rights Act introduces major reforms to UK employment law, with changes being implemented in stages from December 2025 through to 2027.

Employment Rights Act

Collective Options - compressed hours

Issue date

31 Oct 2005

Collective options - Compressed hours

Compressed hours, or compressed working weeks, involve the reorganisation of worktime into longer, but fewer, blocks during the week.

For example: Working time could be reorganised so that hours are worked in 4 or 4.5 days a week, or 9 days out of a fortnight. This could be achieved by starting work early and/or finishing late, thereby building up additional hours which can then used to take a half-day or a full day from work.

The benefits of a compressed hours system include:

Could allow for services to be staffed outside of typical office hours.
It would cut down on travel costs, and time.
Gives workers the opportunity to balance their lives more successfully using days off for learning, family or rest.

However there are possible pitfalls.

Intensive periods of working can cause stress, ill-health and possible workplace hazards (eg working while tired).
Sickness absence will leave a bigger gap in the timetable putting additional pressure on other workers.

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