The city of Canton, Connecticut, inhabitants 10,124, has been trialing a four-day workweek for its staff for almost a month — and to date, it has been successful.
On September 16, the city’s non-unionized staff who work within the city corridor, social providers, and senior providers started getting Fridays off.
“I needed to discover a work-life steadiness for my staff as a result of I feel that in the event you can handle your private gadgets at house and you are not anxious about making appointments and caring for your children, and so on, then you definitely’ll be extra laser-focused at work,” Canton’s First Selectman Kevin Witkos instructed WTNH Information on Monday.
He added that city staff on the four-day schedule “adore it” and “the suggestions has been nice” from residents.
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City corridor staff now work from 8 a.m. to five p.m. on Monday, Tuesday, and Thursday and work an additional hour on Wednesday, from 8 a.m. to six p.m. Senior and social providers staff’ new schedule is from 7:30 a.m. to 4:15 p.m. Monday via Thursday.
Directors within the city’s Division of Public Works and Police Division are additionally participating within the four-day workweek, per Witkos. The trial interval lasts 4 months, till January.
Canton joins different Connecticut cities, together with Plainville, Redding, and Mansfield in implementing a four-day workweek.
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In the meantime, Kickstarter CEO Everette Taylor instructed Kevin O’Leary in July that the corporate applied a 4-day workweek they usually’re “very productive” inside these 4 days.
“I really like the truth that the individuals at our firm have pursuits,” Taylor stated.
Most individuals are prepared to work extra hours Monday via Thursday in the event that they get Friday off. In response to a November 2023 Gallup ballot, 77% of the U.S. workforce are in favor of a 40-hour, 4-day workweek and say it will positively have an effect on their well-being.
The four-day workweek has additionally had confirmed outcomes. In June 2021, 70 firms within the UK experimented with it for six months. The bulk discovered that enterprise productiveness was about the identical or barely larger than it was with a regular five-day week.
Zoom CEO Eric Yuan instructed The Verge in June that AI can assist lower the workweek to a few or 4 days.
“Why not spend extra time with your loved ones?” Yuan stated. “Why not concentrate on some extra inventive issues, supplying you with again your time, giving again to the neighborhood and society to assist others, proper? Right this moment, the explanation why we can not do that’s as a result of each day is busy, 5 days per week. It is boring.”
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