Photo: The Canadian Press/Jeff McIntosh The City of Merritt is launching a four-day work week pilot program in hopes of attracting, hiring and retaining staff for the city. The City of Merritt in the BC Interior is launching a four-day work week pilot program in hopes of attracting, hiring and retaining municipal workers. Merritt’s chief administrative officer says the one-year trial, approved by council Tuesday, will close city hall on Mondays, with hours extended from Tuesday to Friday at 8 a.m. to 5:45 p.m., an additional hour and 45 minutes each day. Sean Smith says wages won’t change, but hopes the compressed work week will allow the city to compete with other jurisdictions, without affecting the bottom line for Merritt taxpayers. He says it comes at a time when the city is working to recover from last fall’s flooding, which devastated the community and caused additional challenges in retaining staff. Smith says the city also believes the program will benefit residents by allowing them to access city staff before or after normal business hours. He says the project will be reviewed in the semester through staff and public surveys to measure its effectiveness and identify areas where changes may need to be made. A start date for the pilot has yet to be decided, but Smith says he expects it to begin this fall. Do you have an opinion? Send it to [email protected] Sep 21, 2022 – 8706 votes Do you support a class action lawsuit against big oil companies, suing them for pollution? Yes: 3032 No: 5147 Uncertain: 527 Sep 20, 2022 – 9464 votes Should penalties be increased for road racing in BC? Yes: 7496 No: 1682 Uncertain: 286 19 Sep 2022 – 14316 votes Was it disrespectful for the PM to join the sing-along while in London for the Queen’s funeral? Yes: 7016 No: 6474 Uncertain: 826 Sep 18, 2022 – 27027 votes Should unvaccinated healthcare workers be allowed back to work? Yes: 19114 No: 7177 Uncertain: 736 Sep 17, 2022 – 9408 votes Should licensing for doctors be the same across Canada? Yes: 8887 No: 239 Uncertain: 282
