Question to the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy:

To ask Her Majesty's Government what assessment, if any, they have made of the debate by Japanese politicians over proposals for a three-day weekend to address 'karoshi' (death by overwork); and what consideration they are giving to the introduction of a three-day weekened.

The Government currently has no plans to introduce a mandated four-day working week in the UK.

The UK has one of the most flexible labour markets in Europe and this flexibility enables workers to participate in the labour market in a way that suits their circumstances. Working hours are ultimately a contractual matter to be agreed between a worker and their employer, and our existing legal framework provides a statutory right for all employees with 26 weeks’ continuous service to request flexible working, where employees can request a change to their hours, working patterns or working from home.