Extended Hours and Four-Day Workweeks, Wake Up Early With Maryland Heights
City staff may need a few extra cups of coffee for the new year— in a groundbreaking move, Maryland Heights government is set to extend its working hours and implement a four-day workweek for its civilian employees. These changes are designed to enhance accessibility, convenience, and employee well-being, making our government services more readily available to residents and businesses while also offering a more balanced work-life schedule for our dedicated staff.
Beginning on January 2, 2024, our municipal government center will be extending its hours of operation from 8:30 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. to 7:00 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. This new schedule will grant residents and businesses an extra hour and a half in the morning and an extra half-hour in the evening to take care of essential tasks like notarizations, permit applications, and scheduling inspections. This change aims to accommodate the diverse needs of our community and provide a more flexible and accessible service.
"What sets our municipality apart from the rest is our innovative approach to enhancing accessibility to services for our residents and businesses," stated City Administrator Tracey Anderson. "We are thrilled to start this journey, as our research indicates that Maryland Heights is the first municipality in Missouri to implement this new schedule, extending our service hours. This change not only allows us to provide enhanced services to our residents and businesses but also demonstrates our commitment to creating more accessibility for the community."
Extended Availability
With the extended hours of operation and the new schedule, our municipal government will be more readily available to residents and businesses throughout the week. This makes it easier for our community members to engage with city services and access necessary resources at their convenience.
Improved Customer Service
The new schedule and extended hours will lead to improved customer service and more efficient assistance to residents and businesses. Staff members will be more available and better able to address the needs of the community.
Recognizing that this is a significant change for the community, our municipal government is planning to undergo a six-month testing period before the new schedule becomes permanent. The trial period for the new schedule, effective until July 1, 2024, will be reviewed annually to ensure continued success. During this time, we will closely monitor and assess the impact of these changes on service quality and overall efficiency. Resident and business feedback will be vital in fine-tuning this transition. "While this change is a testament to our dedication, it's important to acknowledge that management retains the flexibility to make adjustments or cancellations as needed," explained Anderson.
In 2008, the state of Utah redefined the workday by being one of the first entities in the country to implement a 4/10 workweek. Although, their main goal was to save money and chose to close their facilities on Fridays. Utah lawmakers scrapped the four-day workweek in 2011 after filing several complaints that service was inaccessible on Fridays and an audit showed the savings were not as much as they had hoped. Although, after a survey was conducted by the state of Utah, it revealed that 82% of respondents preferred the 4/10 schedule. Several Utah state agencies then decided to continue implementing a 4/10 schedule on their own accord and still maintain a flexible work schedule to this day.
"What can be seen from agencies who have accomplished this in the past is that while some employees will have to initially make adjustments with childcare and extracurricular activities, the 4/10 schedule ends up being extremely popular once introduced," stated Human Resources Manager Melissa Weiss. "By having two groups of staff to stagger the work week, we found we would be able to increase the City's availability to the community."
While change can be a bit uncertain, city leaders are hopeful that the new schedule will have a positive impact on creating more accessibility to residents and businesses. Services such as obtaining a police report, getting a document notarized, or scheduling an inspection will now be available bright and early starting at 7:00 a.m.
Use your personal time and lunch breaks for yourself – no need to worry about accomplishing official city business like notarizing documents, getting building permits, or obtaining records. Your time is precious, and we want you to enjoy it without any hassle. Studies show that having longer work hours each day might mean a shorter workweek overall, and Maryland Heights is excited to be a part of this positive change.
"We've come up with a new plan using our current team, creating a compressed workweek that gives us more time to serve you," explained Anderson. "These extra hours mean you can swing by the center before starting your workday to take care of any city-related business." The City recognizes how important it is to make city services easy to access and our dedication in making our facility more accessible is something that has not been attempted by any other city in Missouri. Maryland Heights is taking the lead in making these changes, hoping to inspire other places to do the same and make city services more user-friendly for everyone.
During this testing period, we encourage feedback and ask for your patience as we navigate this monumental change. The City aims to set an example for other municipalities in the area and is excited to be more available for the community. Here's to a city that's as bold and welcoming as that first cup of coffee
in the morning!
Beginning on January 2, 2024, our municipal government center will be extending its hours of operation from 8:30 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. to 7:00 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. This new schedule will grant residents and businesses an extra hour and a half in the morning and an extra half-hour in the evening to take care of essential tasks like notarizations, permit applications, and scheduling inspections. This change aims to accommodate the diverse needs of our community and provide a more flexible and accessible service.
"What sets our municipality apart from the rest is our innovative approach to enhancing accessibility to services for our residents and businesses," stated City Administrator Tracey Anderson. "We are thrilled to start this journey, as our research indicates that Maryland Heights is the first municipality in Missouri to implement this new schedule, extending our service hours. This change not only allows us to provide enhanced services to our residents and businesses but also demonstrates our commitment to creating more accessibility for the community."
HOW WILL THIS BENEFIT MARYLAND HEIGHTS RESIDENTS AND BUSINESSES?
Extended Availability
With the extended hours of operation and the new schedule, our municipal government will be more readily available to residents and businesses throughout the week. This makes it easier for our community members to engage with city services and access necessary resources at their convenience.
Improved Customer Service
The new schedule and extended hours will lead to improved customer service and more efficient assistance to residents and businesses. Staff members will be more available and better able to address the needs of the community.
Recognizing that this is a significant change for the community, our municipal government is planning to undergo a six-month testing period before the new schedule becomes permanent. The trial period for the new schedule, effective until July 1, 2024, will be reviewed annually to ensure continued success. During this time, we will closely monitor and assess the impact of these changes on service quality and overall efficiency. Resident and business feedback will be vital in fine-tuning this transition. "While this change is a testament to our dedication, it's important to acknowledge that management retains the flexibility to make adjustments or cancellations as needed," explained Anderson.
In 2008, the state of Utah redefined the workday by being one of the first entities in the country to implement a 4/10 workweek. Although, their main goal was to save money and chose to close their facilities on Fridays. Utah lawmakers scrapped the four-day workweek in 2011 after filing several complaints that service was inaccessible on Fridays and an audit showed the savings were not as much as they had hoped. Although, after a survey was conducted by the state of Utah, it revealed that 82% of respondents preferred the 4/10 schedule. Several Utah state agencies then decided to continue implementing a 4/10 schedule on their own accord and still maintain a flexible work schedule to this day.
"What can be seen from agencies who have accomplished this in the past is that while some employees will have to initially make adjustments with childcare and extracurricular activities, the 4/10 schedule ends up being extremely popular once introduced," stated Human Resources Manager Melissa Weiss. "By having two groups of staff to stagger the work week, we found we would be able to increase the City's availability to the community."
While change can be a bit uncertain, city leaders are hopeful that the new schedule will have a positive impact on creating more accessibility to residents and businesses. Services such as obtaining a police report, getting a document notarized, or scheduling an inspection will now be available bright and early starting at 7:00 a.m.
Use your personal time and lunch breaks for yourself – no need to worry about accomplishing official city business like notarizing documents, getting building permits, or obtaining records. Your time is precious, and we want you to enjoy it without any hassle. Studies show that having longer work hours each day might mean a shorter workweek overall, and Maryland Heights is excited to be a part of this positive change.
"We've come up with a new plan using our current team, creating a compressed workweek that gives us more time to serve you," explained Anderson. "These extra hours mean you can swing by the center before starting your workday to take care of any city-related business." The City recognizes how important it is to make city services easy to access and our dedication in making our facility more accessible is something that has not been attempted by any other city in Missouri. Maryland Heights is taking the lead in making these changes, hoping to inspire other places to do the same and make city services more user-friendly for everyone.
During this testing period, we encourage feedback and ask for your patience as we navigate this monumental change. The City aims to set an example for other municipalities in the area and is excited to be more available for the community. Here's to a city that's as bold and welcoming as that first cup of coffee
in the morning!