Steven Broomhead writes a regular column for the Warrington Guardian

WARRINGTONIANS work on average 39.5 hours a week.

Some 20 per cent of us work for 45 hours+ per week. Less than 10 per cent of us work less than 15 hours per week which, in the 1930s, Keynes thought would be the norm now.

Of course these are the contracted hours of work and in the past 10 years there has been the extension of work into family and leisure time made possible by the digital revolution. You are often now only two clicks from the workplace.

So it’s intriguing that a policy debate is commencing about a desire to introduce a 32 hour/ four day week by 2025.

It’s argued that a reduction in total would be helpful to businesses, workers and society overall and it is seen to be beneficial to wellbeing.

It’s argued that productivity will rise as people tend to do more in shortened work spells. Long hours at work are not good for productivity. We are putting our noses to the grindstone more than the Germans who work 1,350 hours per year compared to our 1,700+.

So could it work? There’s no doubt it would be a popular idea but it is only really suited to an industrial era rather than a services-based local economy, which is the mainstay here.

Today working days are flexible feasts with people working digitally and flexibly ‘on the move’. Many of us take and send emails at the weekend and evenings. Given the current economic uncertainty and outlook it would be a bold step to introduce. Only last week, the governor of the Bank of England indicated the UK economy would grow at its slowest rate since 2009 – and that’s before the fog of Brexit descends.

Perhaps it’s not good to kick a potential gift horse in the mouth but the idea of a four day week for the same pay is an idea that is not appropriate for this time. The emphasis should be on ensuring a decent work/life balance.

It’s worth remembering the famous quote from Dolly Parton: “Never get so busy making a living that you forget to make a life”.