Quispamsis is looking to improve work-life balance for its municipal employees.
The town will be testing a four-day work week for staff over the coming months.
A 24-week pilot project is set to run from early May through mid-October.
Aaron Kennedy, acting chief administrative officer, said this will give staff more flexibility and rest time.
“With so many things that have been going on in the world, going back to COVID and inflation and the price of gas and the war, there’s so many things going on with people’s mental health that a lot of times we’re not that aware of,” Kennedy told council on Tuesday night.
Under the pilot project, staff would work from 7:30 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. four days per week.
One team would work Monday to Thursday, the other Tuesday to Friday, rotating shifts every four weeks.
Kennedy said the pilot is optional for employees, but all administrative staff has already said they are on board.
“Everyone is willing to give it a try and see how it works. There’s certainly a change. Some people are not morning people, so 7:30 might be a bit of a struggle, but they’re going to approach that good-naturedly to see how it works out,” he said.
Unionized staff in the parks department already work four-day weeks in the summer, said Kennedy.
Arena staff “are on a different schedule as well, so it really doesn’t impact them that much,” he said.
Unionized members of the works and utilities department are expected to vote on the idea next week.
The pilot project will also see public hours at the town hall and the qplex administration office increased by one hour per day. They will be open from 7:30 a.m. to 5 p.m. instead of 8 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.
“We are going to track how many residents come in between 7:30 a.m. and 8 a.m., and between 4:30 p.m. and 5 p.m. to see if it has an impact. We think it will,” said Kennedy.
Town staff anticipates the pilot project will lead to reduced sick days among staff and better employee retention, among other things.
Mayor Libby O’Hara said there is value in giving the idea a try, even if it may not work out at the end of the day.
“I feel that in this day and age, we have to do things differently. Simply because we have worked five days a week since eternity, it does not mean that that is the best way of doing things,” said O’Hara.
Senior town staff will examine the results of the pilot in the fall and report back to council.
