Everman staff reports positive employee response to 4-day work week trial, flags operational notes

City staff presented a three-month report on the city's trial of a 4-day work week for city hall and other departments, telling the council the change was intended as a trial and that internal survey results show broad employee support and operational improvements.

Staff said 84% of affected employees reported an improved work-life balance and 100% preferred the 4-day schedule to a 5-day schedule. The presentation reported that 80% of employees experienced reduced stress and 76% reported increased productivity. Staff also said 20% of employees indicated they would likely leave if the city reverted to a five-day schedule.

On operations, staff described adjustments to public hours — opening earlier and staying open later on operating days — and said the city has not received formal complaints. Staff noted one predictable issue tied to cutoff days for utility payments: because the city previously closed at 5:00 p.m. on cutoff day, customers who arrived after that time had no option until the next business day; with the adjusted hours (open until 6), staff said the city has been able to help customers immediately after cutoff. Staff also discussed observed energy-use reductions but cautioned that the city deployed smart, programmable devices at the same time as the schedule change and could not attribute energy savings precisely to the new schedule, estimating roughly "75% due to the smart thermostats and 25% due to operational hours." Staff concluded by inviting questions from the council; the transcript records no formal vote on the schedule.