Waterville is considering moving city employees to a four-day work week

On November 27, 2024By Pranco

WATERVILLE, Maine (WMTW) – Waterville is the latest municipality in Maine to consider moving city employees to a four-day work week.

During a City Council meeting, City Manager Bryan Kaenrath proposed that the city move from its current five-day Monday through Friday schedule to Monday through Thursday. Staff would still work 40 hours in the four-day week, meaning services would be open to city residents earlier in the morning and later in the evening.

“We are certainly here to serve the public, and we want to be open to the public,” Kaenrath said at the meeting.

Kaenrath explained to council that this would help the city be more competitive in the “post-COVID labor market,” saying the city has a smaller pool of candidates due to more flexible schedules in other communities or the private sector.

“Just my position, for example. You only have thirteen candidates for my position,” he said. ‘That’s terrible. I’m not saying it’s about the schedule, but we need to have as level a playing field as possible with who we compete with.”

Waterville Human Resources Officer Bobbie-Jo Green says staff supports the potential change.

“There is a lot of enthusiastic staff,” she said at the meeting. “It does provide the work-life balance they are looking for.”

Some city council members were concerned about public approval.

“I think this is a terrible idea,” Councilman Kenneth Gagnon said. “This council is not here to serve this government. The council is here to serve the people of the city, and everyone I spoke to when I first heard about it is absolutely against it.”

South Portland has been running on a four-day week since August 2023. The city originally operated on a six-month pilot program, which was implemented permanently after positive feedback from residents.

“For the most part, the public has been very supportive as well,” said Shara Dee, South Portland communications and publics officer. “We did a survey asking the public what they thought, and 80% of the public said they were happy with the way they were able to do business, even with the new schedule.”

Although South Portland residents sometimes accidentally come to the offices when they are closed on Fridays, Dee says the change has been positive overall, especially as several services have also moved online.

“This is also very positive for retention and recruitment,” she says. “I would recommend it.”

The motion passed in Waterville on a 5-2 vote, but the City Council will have to vote on the new schedule one more time before it is officially approved.