Beginning May 28, the City of Keller will undergo a trial period for a four-day workweek for certain city employees, including those in the municipal services, the Keller Town Hall, and the records department at the Keller Police Department.
The new hours for those divisions will be 7:30 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. Monday through Thursday and closed on Fridays.
“[The] council is committed to Keller remaining Texas’s Most Family-Friendly City, and one of our strategic goals is to ‘Put People First’ — which includes creating a workplace culture at Town Hall that not only retains dedicated city employees but also sets Keller apart in candidate recruitment,” said Mayor Armin Mizani.
In a series of tweets posted on the City of Keller’s Twitter page on May 17, the City explained the reasoning behind the decision.
“In addition to recruitment and retention, City Manager Mark Hafner hopes the move will improve efficiency in areas like public works and park maintenance,” read one of the tweets.
Keller officials stated that several municipal employees in departments such as public safety, IT, and community facilities are already on four-day work schedules.
According to the City, the initiative’s purpose is to enhance work-life balance for its employees, with added fuel and utility savings as bonuses.
“We’re competing for employees just like everyone else against both the public and private sector, and as an organization, we need to continue to adapt to the needs of the modern workforce,” said City Manager Resources Director Marcia Reyna.
The test run is expected to last for four months. During that period, the City says it will examine employee retention and productivity and ask employees whether they believe a four-day workweek may be beneficial in the long run.
On October 4, Keller City Council will gather to receive feedback and decide whether to proceed with the new work schedule.