This North Texas city is giving its employees Fridays off

Farmers Branch to give its employees Fridays off

A third city in North Texas is moving to a four-day work week. Farmers Branch is making the change to attract and retain talent. City manager Ben Williamson joined Good Day to talk about how it will work. Most employees will have 10-hour days with Fridays off.

FARMERS BRANCH, Texas - How would you like a three-day weekend every weekend?

If the idea of working only four days a week sounds appealing to you, you may want to consider applying for a job with the city of Farmers Branch.

It’s the latest North Texas city to make the switch to a four-day work week.

City manager Ben Williamson said the change starts Monday for most employees – everyone from the clerks at city hall to park employees and sanitation workers.

"They’re super excited about it. It’s been the thing that’s been most talked about. We went to a job fair and our HR director was there. And that was the No. 1 reason. People were saying, ‘Wait, you have a four-day work week?’" he said.

Most employees will work 10-hour days on Monday through Thursday. They’ll have Fridays off. But some will work Tuesday through Friday with Mondays off.

It means some public buildings will actually be open longer.

"What will happen is Monday morning it will be business as usual except instead of city hall opening at 8 a.m., we’ll open at 7:30 a.m. We’ve always been open until 6 p.m. except for Fridays. Now we’re extending those hours for Friday as well," Williamson said. "Our employees work four days a week in most cases. We’re always on call if something happens. The city doesn’t stop. But our residents now have more flexible hours to come to city hall for those services."

The city tested the idea with its field crews first. The work was getting done just as it was before.

"They’ve loved it, and the feedback has been pretty much universal – ‘Please never go away from this. We love it,’" Williamson said.

As a parent, it will give him the chance to volunteer at his children’s school on Fridays.

"It’s that work-life balance everybody talks about. So, everybody’s excited including myself," he said.

Ultimately, the goal is also to attract and retain talent.

Williamson thinks the idea could convince jobseekers to drive further to work for Farmers Branch.

"Every city is looking for employees. Every organization, everywhere you go you see help wanted signs. So how do you say, ‘Hey, come work for us. Be part of this team,’" Williamson said. "If you can work four days a week and have an extra 52 days off a year, that’s a benefit."

The cities of Rowlett and Keller also have 4-day schedules for employees.