A City In BC Is Testing Out A 4-Day Workweek For Its Staff & They're Hiring Right Now
City Hall will be closed on Mondays!
City of Merritt.
The City of Merritt is launching a year-long four-day workweek pilot for city staff with the goal of combating job turnover and helping attract new talent.
If ditching the traditional grind of working five days a week sounds appealing, it might be time to move to this small city in B.C. for one of these gigs.
The City of Merritt staff submitted a report to the city council in hopes of implementing a four-day compressed workweek trial for one year. The plan would see City Hall open with extended operating hours four days a week and closed on the fifth day.
The council approved the pilot project and told staff to "work towards implementing" it.
Although the plan was approved, a press release from the city said more discussions, agreements, and work needs to be done before an official start date is set.
The report submitted to the city council said the move should help combat the "significant turnover" they have had with employees, help attract and retain talent, and have positive health impacts for people in the workplace.
"Research indicates that the compressed work week will not only add to the City’s ability to retain and attract staff but also increase morale and performance," the release said.
Staff proposed new City Hall hours which would be open to the public from "Tuesday to Friday, from 8:00 a.m. to 5:45 p.m.," as opposed to the current hours of 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.
"Studies also indicate that Extended open service hours for the community would be an undeniable benefit for those residents who work Monday to Friday," it added.
The report convinced the council to approve the project, and staff and the public will be asked to review it at the six-month mark.
Job openings
On the City Of Merritt website, there are seven job openings right now. If you're looking for a gig with a four-day workweek starting up, it's definitely worth applying to one of them.
They're looking for a city planner, a truck driver, an economic development recovery advisor, election poll clerks, a deputy corporate officer, a financial analyst, and a director of finance and IT.