MORGANTOWN, W.Va. — For the next year a large majority of workers employed by the City of Morgantown will be working four days a week. The pilot program begins Monday.
The work week is Monday through Thursday from 7 a.m. to 5:30 p.m., according to interim Morgantown City Manager Emily Muzzarelli.
“Employees will work their 40 hours in four days or four 10-hour days,” she said.
Muzzarelli doesn’t think it will take residents who need city services long to adjust and she predicts they’ll end up liking it because they fall before and after regular work hours.
“By moving to a four-day work week we can have all of our departments on these extended hours so customers can come in before or after work and not have to take time out of work,” she said.
The idea of a focused workweek was brought forward by city staff as a way to save costs, improve employee productivity and help create a better work/life balance in employees’ lives.
There is no cost to the city to conduct the pilot program, but there will be some environmental benefits.
“Not having some of those utilities running and also from not having our employees commuting to work will reduce our carbon footprint,” Muzzarelli said.
The departments part of the pilot project include Code Enforcement, Finance, Municipal Court, Information Technology, Arts and Culture, Human Resources, City Clerk, Development Services, Engineering, Communications, Urban Landscape, Public Works, City Manager’s Office, and the administrative offices for the Morgantown Police Department and BOPARC.