Keller decides to permanently move to a 4-day work week
KELLER, Texas (CBSDFW.COM) — The City of Keller is making a four-day work week permanent after a successful summer trial aimed at retaining employees and filling open positions.
The schedule means the Town Hall, municipal service center and records office at the police department will continue to be closed on Fridays, with offices open from 7:30 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. Monday through Thursday.
After a four-month test period that started just after Memorial Day, 99-percent of employees on the new schedule who were surveyed responded that they liked it.
The public response was also largely positive according to Director of Human Resources Marcia Reyna. Several departments even saw more people walking in to take care of city business, possibly because of the extended hours when offices were open.
Employees found there was an adjustment period. The days at the office are longer, and there are fewer days to finish all their work.
"I've got this process for how I do things," said Ryan Lee, a support services manager in the Public Works department. "I do these things on 'X' amount of days. How am I gonna work that out in this four-day period?"
However once he figured out the workflow, Lee said the change was all positive, with Fridays off to run errands, spend with family or travel.
The change hasn't helped fill all the city vacancies yet. It had a job fair Thursday for a number of departments, but four recent new hires had all mentioned the four-day week was a factor in taking the job, according to Reyna.
Department leaders also continued to be responsive on Fridays and after hours, and there have even been meetings held when needed. Some departments like public safety, the library, senior center and Keller Pointe, a city-run fitness and rec center, are also still operating on traditional schedules.
Reyna said calls and emails have continued to come in from other cities, including some out of state, curious on how Keller made the change.