Workers could be given the right to ask employers for a four-day working week under new government plans.

Employees would still have to work their full hours to receive their full pay but could compress their contracted hours into a shorter working week.

Currently, employees have the legal right to request flexible working, but there is no obligation on companies to agree.

However, ministers insist they will not impose the change on staff or businesses, BBC News reports.

A spokesperson at the Department for Business and Trade said: "Any changes to employment legislation will be consulted on, working in partnership with business."

Details are expected in the autumn when a law to create a new package of workers' rights is expected to begin its journey through Parliament.

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Kevin Hollinrake, the Tory shadow business secretary, was critical of the idea concerning this sort of law change.

He said: “Despite warning after warning from industry, Angela Rayner is pressing ahead with her French-style union laws that will make doing business more expensive in the UK.

“Labour must listen to businesses who are petrified about day one employment rights and bringing in the four-day week through the back door. It will be businesses and consumers who pay and growth that suffers if they don’t listen.”

Critics of the approach warn that flexible working, such as allowing people to more readily work from home, would actually lead to reduced productivity.

However, a Labour source speaking to The Telegraph rejected the criticism.

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They pointed out that the Tories, in their 2019 election manifesto, vowed to make flexible working the “default” and cited studies showing it could improve productivity.

They said: “The Conservatives pledged to make flexible working the default then failed to do so. We’ll build on their existing legislation to ensure flexibility is a genuine default, except where it is not reasonably feasible for employers to agree.

“Flexible working options such as compressed hours and term-time working can support more people to stay in the workforce and boost productivity, whether keeping parents in their jobs or helping those juggling caring responsibilities for older relatives.”