Colo. Police Department Extends 4-Day Work Week Program

A Colorado police department is extending a four-day work week program after data showed an increase in productivity and improvement in community relations.

The Golden Police Department started its four-day work week last summer as a way to retain officers amidst staffing challenges, CBS News reports. To address this, City Manager Scott Vargos implemented a pilot program that had officers working 32 hours but being paid for 40 hours.

"We were facing a lot of challenges around hiring and retention, particularly within the police department," said Vargos.

In just six months, the department has already seen a positive impact in how officers work.

"We are still seeing response times that are typically less than the response times under the previous schedule, said Vargos. "We are seeing more calls for service activity under that previous model, and we have a level of morale and engagement with the staff that is in the 90-plus percentile."

Although the four-day work week has been a major change for officers, Chief Joe Harvey says there have been very few hiccups with implementing the new schedule. Many officers have praised how the program has made them more efficient and freed them up to handle things in their personal lives.

"A lot of Baby Boomers have spent their entire career, 40 hours a week, Monday through Friday, and for some of them, it's uncomfortable," said Harvey. "The Gen X folks, like myself, some of us have struggled with it in the beginning and are warming up to it. But you go to Gen Y and Gen Z, they love it because they have been raised to look at work differently."

Long term, Harvey thinks this could be a big asset for the department when it comes to drawing in new hires and keeping the officers the agency has.

"This could really be a game changer for recruitment and retention, but the overall health and well-being of our secondary family… that was the big reason for me to want to jump in on this," he said.