City manager proposes 90-day trial of 4-day workweek for select departments; staff poll showed 73% support

The interim city manager proposed a 90-day trial of a 4-day workweek for select City of Cairo departments and presented key design elements and performance metrics for council consideration.

The manager said the proposal came from internal feedback and examples from other Georgia cities. Staff polling required a minimum 60% approval to begin the trial and the manager said the poll returned 73% in favor. "This recommendation is based on internal feedback and successful models from other Georgia cities... The proposal passed with a 73% of staff in favor pending positive financial and service delivery indicators during the trial and a minimum 75 70% approval rating at the conclusion of the trial for a full implementation," the interim city manager said.

Under the proposal, eligible employees would work four 10-hour days with alternating off days to ensure five-day coverage for the public. On-call staff would remain on standard eight-hour shifts; the manager said staggered schedules and rotation would maintain operations. Staff would track service-delivery metrics such as work-order completion rates, service times, attendance, public feedback, overtime and utility costs, and employee morale to evaluate the trial.

The manager asked council for input and said the trial could begin June 30 if council permits. No formal council vote on the trial occurred at the meeting; the manager said staff would return to the council at the next meeting with additional feedback.