Town of Mansfield testing out four-day work week

MANSFIELD, CT (WFSB) - Mansfield is testing out a four-day work week for certain employees now through June 30.

This comes on the heels of neighboring Vernon implementing a similar strategy.

Mansfield Town Manager Ryan Aylesworth says that’s a big reason this pilot came about in the first place.

“The reality is we will compete over the same workforce,” Aylesworht said. “A lot of these towns are commutable to one another.”

During the pilot period, town hall is open Monday through Wednesday 8:00 a.m. to 5:15 p.m. and Thursday 8:00 a.m. to 6:30 p.m. On Fridays, town hall will be closed as opposed to being open 8:00 a.m. to 12:00 p.m. as it was before.

Joelen Gates has lived in Mansfield for 30 years. A four-day work week doesn’t bother her.

“I’m flexible because I’m retired so it wasn’t so important to me that they be open on a Friday,” Gates said. “I came here on Friday to pay my taxes and I noticed the office was closed so I thought ‘I’ll have to come back on Monday!”

During the pilot period, the only building affected is town hall. If the change becomes permanent, that may change.

“If we deem this to be a success, we’ll consider the application or the ability to pilot it in other municipal facilities like the community center, the senior center and our public library,” Aylesworth said.

Some of these buildings, like the community center, is open seven days a week. Aylesworth says that won’t change if a four-day work week is adopted. Employees’ schedules will simply be changed at these municpal buildings, but hours of operations will not.

Before anything is set in stone, town leaders want to hear from you. There’s a survey open through the end of June to get your two cents on how the town should move forward.

“We will be very receptive to feedback throughout the process,” Aylesworth said.

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