SWAMPSCOTT, MASS. (WHDH) - The town of Swampscott announced it will be testing out a new trend that’s sweeping through other areas of the country.
Starting on May 2, some town employees will be switching to a four-day workweek.
Town Administrator Sean Fitzgerald said he believes that closing up shop on Fridays will boost morale and help employees maintain a more desirable work/life balance.
“We really do think this is the time to take stock in the extraordinary talent that is our workforce,” he said. “We want to have a town full of employees that are motivated and inspired to do the best job they can.”
This shift comes after two long years of a pandemic that has undoubtedly changed the workplace.
“Many of us that have worked over the years can attest to the days that just don’t seem to end and the endless Zoom meetings,” Fitzgerald explained.
He said the town has not been immune to what has now been dubbed “The Great Resignation” — employees leaving their jobs in record numbers — and said now is the time to do all they can to attract employees.
“We think that this of one of the things we can do to create a workforce that is both balanced and really leaning forward in terms of the values that will make this organization successful,” the administrator said.
The number of hours each employee works will not change. Town Hall will be closed on Fridays but it will stay open 30 minutes later on Mondays, Tuesdays, Wednesdays and Thursdays in addition to nighttime hours on Wednesdays.
(Copyright (c) 2024 Sunbeam Television. All Rights Reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.)