McCall council reviews proposed compressed 4-day workweek pilot for city staff; staff to return with policy

City Manager Forrest and HR Manager Tracy Melvic presented a proposal for a six-month pilot of a compressed workweek for city employees with the stated goals of improving employee wellbeing, recruitment and retention without adding recurring financial cost to the city.

The proposal outlined several implementation models (four 10‑hour days closed Fridays, rotating schedules to preserve five‑day coverage, and staggered staffing by department) and proposed expanded daily public hours (07:30–17:30) on days the office is open. Presenters reviewed holiday-handling options (give employees a floating holiday, shift the day off when a holiday falls on the closed weekday, or maintain coverage), telework policy adjustments (reducing telework from 50% to 1 day/week for most staff if compressed schedule is adopted), metrics for pilot evaluation (employee-satisfaction surveys, absenteeism, public-service performance) and a proposed mid‑pilot review at three months with a final report at six months.

Council discussion focused on operational questions: how to maintain coverage for essential services (water, public works, Parks & Rec), whether salaried and hourly staff would be treated equitably, handling of council meeting support on Fridays, how overtime would be monitored, flexibility for employees who prefer 5‑8s instead of 4‑10s, and perceived internal equity across departments. Several council members voiced cautious support for a pilot and asked staff to prepare a detailed policy with multiple scenarios for council review. The council did not adopt a formal policy at this meeting but directed staff to develop and return with specifics.