MARQUETTE, MI— Innovate Marquette has implemented a four-day work week.
The economic development organization is piloting the schedule this summer. CEO Joe Thiel says employees had noticed that Friday had become more of an “as needed” day in their work schedules and a lot of planning was done early in the week. He says many employees need Friday for personal time.
Innovate Marquette used workforce specialists at Michigan Works and implemented more efficient office tools to enable the change. Thiel notes the shorter week will focus on tasks accomplished rather than hours worked.
“So, when you look at a four-day work week, I don’t look at it as an hour basis, I look at it as a task basis for what we needed to get done as an operation and looking how we can really become efficient in our work to be able to get more done in a shorter period of time.”
Thiel says Fridays will be worked on an as-needed basis. He’ll evaluate the new schedule at the end of the summer. He hopes the result will be higher productivity and a happier work force.
