SLCC’s 4/10 Work Week Summer Pilot

SLCC employees at ice cream social

SLCC’s 4/10 Summer Pilot Program

 

From mid-May to late July, SLCC staff participated in a 4/10 weekday pilot program. Staff were permitted to try out a 10-hour work day, 4 days per week, with Fridays off. 

 

Many staff members opted into the program, and some decided to stick with the 5/8 workweek. Staff who stayed with a traditional schedule were required to work remotely on Fridays, as campuses were closed during the trial period. 

 

Here are a few stories on how participating staff members used their Fridays during the pilot: 

 

Peta Owens-Liston – Public Information Officer 

 

I made visiting my mom on Fridays a priority—a walk with her or lunch. I also ran all my errands and avoided the Saturday crowds. It was also a great day to get out and hike early without a ton of people on the trails.

 

Starting early—7 or 7:30 a.m. was key since mornings are my high-focus time and go by quickly. I also took regular breaks to stretch my legs. I made sure I took a lunch break, and I would go for a walk or do yoga. 

 

I LOVED the pilot program. It made summer feel like summer. Three-day weekends are golden, and during the four days working I was hyper-focused to get everything done. When Thursday night feels like a Friday night, it’s a pretty awesome feeling. That being said, I still worked some Fridays but not all day long—just was available as needed.

Meredith Nickels – Operations Manager, Enrollment Services

“I really enjoyed working the 4/10 schedule this summer. I appreciated quiet, peaceful mornings where I could get a lot done as well as Fridays off! It was a great excuse to get stuff done, plan additional travel, and practice some extra self-care. The true highlight was this schedule helped me feel as though I had enough time to take a trip to Wales, UK for a family reunion without it feeling overly stressful. While I am happy to go back to our normal schedule, I am hopeful we can do this again next summer!”

 

 

Julie Hirschi – Writer/Editor of SLCC Magazine 

 

I ended up doing 9/80 (nine-hour workdays with every other Friday off adding up to 80 hours over two weeks), and I really liked it. Typically, I would work every other Friday, but I ended up splitting it to be half-day every Friday. I liked the flexibility to be able to do that. 

 

My best work is in the mornings and sitting for long hours are hard for me, but I had so much work this summer with the magazine that nine hours a day went quickly, and sometimes I had to work longer hours anyway to get everything done. I ended up liking this better than I thought I would in the beginning. I’d love to keep doing 9/80 in the future.

 

Erin Giesler – Assistant Director, Creative Services

 

On Fridays, I did basically the same things I would do the rest of the weekend—whether it be cleaning, visiting the in-laws or just lounging. It has been convenient having a built-in day off for errands/appointments for which I might otherwise have to take time off. 

 

Getting through a 10-hour workday didn't really require any special motivation for me, just a little extra sugar to make it through the afternoon. It does, however, require some forward planning since I have less time in the evenings for things like making dinner.

 

Lauren Erlacher – Manager of Recruitment & Employee Experience

 

To get through the 10-hour workday, I made sure to take time for lunch and sit on the west patio of the student center with colleagues, which really enhanced the experience. It was also amazing how much you could get done from 7 to 9 a.m. with no meetings! 

 

Every Friday, I tried to make the most of my day with my kids. I did Tracy Aviary with my toddler, splashpads with my stay-at-home mom friends, Lagoon, etc. Even if Friday ended up being an “errands day,” we were sure to have lunch out and make a stop at the library. I also found the 4/10 scheduled was a better match for our part-time employees, and we all seemed to come back from the weekends more rested and re-charged. 

 

Erika Shubin – Communications Director

 

With the pilot, I was able to spend Fridays teaching my 15-year-old how to drive. It wasn’t the most relaxing way to spend that extra day, but I was thankful for the time it afforded in giving my daughter practice time behind the wheel. 

 

Jennifer Sparks – Manager of Workforce Marketing and Outreach

 

I didn't fully participate in the 4/10 because it didn't really work with a two-year-old who's only awake from 7 a.m. - 8 p.m. I would have barely seen her all week, and it was too hard for our childcare to accommodate. I did work a little bit extra and took half days on Fridays, which was great time to take her out on little adventures before it got too hot.