City Employees in Gonzales Get a Four-Day Work Week

GONZALES, La. (KPEL-FM) - If you work for the City of Gonzales, you'll soon be enjoying a 3-day weekend every week.

New Schedule Begins August 4 with Extended Hours

Beginning on August 4, city employees will work Monday through Thursday, with City Hall operating from 6:30 am to 5:30 pm each of those days.

The new work-week adds 30 minutes to the beginning and end of the city's daily operating hours.

Mayor Riley Cites Cost Savings and Productivity Boost

According to Mayor Timothy Riley, the reason is quite simple. He believes the move will result in cost savings for the city, along with an increase in employee productivity and satisfaction.

In a statement, Riley cited studies from the American Psychological Association and the World Forum that found four-day work weeks improve employee retention, reduce absenteeism, increase revenue gains, and boost physical and mental health.

READ MORE: Louisiana Brings Back Black Bear Hunting Permits for 2025

Overcoming Initial Resistance from City Council

This is not the first time Riley has tried to make the switch to a four-day work week. Back in March, he proposed the same thing, but the city council shut him down.

The new work-week plan, according to Riley, addresses each of the council's concerns, such as residents who pay utility bills having their services cut off for non-payment.

"We'll always have someone on standby. We have the online, and then if a situation arises where a Friday ends up on a cut-off day, no one will be cut off. We will notify everyone that following Monday and get everything ratified or fixed," Riley told WBRZ television in Baton Rouge.

Get our free mobile app

Ascension Parish’s Success with Similar Schedule

This new plan by the City of Gonzales mimics a similar plan that was implemented in 2024 by the Ascension Parish Government. Parish Communications Director Pamela Matassa has reported that this move has worked great for them:

Ascension Parish Government moved to a four-day workweek in January 2024, and it’s been a smart and well-received decision. More than half of our staff, like our DPW and drainage crews, were already working four 10-hour days, which aligned the rest of our team. We also noticed that foot traffic on Fridays was minimal, and most of those in-person visits were for information already available online. The response from both our employees and the public has been overwhelmingly positive.

Another government entity that made the move to a four-day work week is the City of Zachary, which implemented the change in August 2013. Their admin and utility staff work Monday through Thursday with extended hours.

Additionally, at least 10 school districts in the state have made the switch to four-day school weeks over the last couple of years.

Will the Four-Day Week Become the New Norm?

It is definitely a trend, and time will tell if it's a successful one to the bottom line and all the other reasons believed to be beneficial.