Mitchell Shire Council has commenced trialling a four-day work week within one area of its operations and parks branch.
The arrangement will mean operations and parks branch staff work a 38-hour week in four days – 9.5 hours per day.
Council is confident its 24-hours, seven-day-a-week roster, already in place, will ensure it can meet any emergency management responsibilities.
The four-day work week trial was developed in consultation with staff and the union with full support from all parties.
Mitchell Shire Council chief executive Brett Luxford said the trial was developed to address discrepancies in flexible working arrangements between council staff.
“We are looking at creating a more flexible working environment for our outdoor staff, who do not have access to flexible work arrangements as indoor staff do,” he said.
“This does not reduce operational hours or levels of service council delivers.
“When responding to emergency situations, council’s operational staff play a role in road closures, drainage issues and other operations matters.”
Mr Luxford said regular meetings with staff would continue and council would continue working with the relevant union to assess the impact of the trial.
“Council will also analyse areas covered and productivity of the team undertaking the trial to determine results,” he said.
“Should there need to be adjustments during the trial, these will be considered and worked through with all parties.
“The community will be informed should the trial result in any significant decrease in service delivery, which is not anticipated.”
At the conclusion of the trial, council will evaluate the trial’s outcome before deciding its next steps.
