By Matt Mackinder
Clarkston News Editor

A four-day work week for Independence Township is closer to reality with a pilot program potentially starting June 5.
The change had been discussed at the April 4 Independence Township Board of Trustees regular meeting and then at a special meeting May 16 before a presentation at the May 23 regular meeting by Nancy Olind, township attorney from The Kelly Firm.
In summary, township business hours would change from 8 a.m.-5 p.m., Monday through Friday, to 7 a.m.-5:30 p.m., Monday through Thursday.
“The reason for the June 5 start date is because not only is it the beginning of the month, but it’s also the beginning of a pay period,” said Olind. “That would be helpful in looking at if time off is used, if days off, things like that for starting on June 5. The pilot would go through December and there would be an evaluation period. The idea behind December is that gives a full six months of the pilot to evaluate, to determine whether we would revert back to a five-day week or continue as is.
“We talked about the potential benefits to residents, which included early access to services for parents dropping their kids off, contractors, vendors that need to get their issues taken care of before the start of everyone else’s work day. Same thing with on the way home with extended access when you’re running your errands on your way home.”
Olind also noted that with the later hours, perhaps residents will come to take care of business and then stick around for any of the various public township meetings that take place during the week.
“The main goal we talked about a lot last week (at May 16 special board of trustees meeting) was that it started off as a benefit to employees to make this an employer that is attractive because of benefits like this where work-life balance is appreciated and understanding that the township has some constraints that it puts on itself to be responsible with salaries and spending,” Olind said. “You can’t just give raises and hand out money, so this was a way to add another benefit that wasn’t intended to cause any changes the way the township pays out.”
Operational considerations and how directors will manage a four-day work week was also discussed by Olind, who said it would continue as is.
“The directors would have the autonomy to run their departments as they do now over four days of regular business hours instead of five,” Olind said. “Directors would remain accountable and available during off hours and weekends just as they are now, to respond to any types of issues.”
Olind also said that it was brought up in the May 16 meeting that the four-day work week can be construed as a way to give elected officials and salaried employees an extra day off.
“That is not the objective at all,” said Olind. “If you break down and look at the reality of it, that change in the four days is not going to change the amount of work hours that are put in by your director-, elected offical-level folks. They’re expected to work 40 hours, but that’s not really how it goes. Those folks are salaried and are exempt from overtime requirements. So whether they work 20, 40, 100 hours, their pay is the same. The electeds are already working in their departments and then they have these meetings, residents meetings, so there really won’t be a reduction in their hours. Just days you’re expected to be open for business.”
The time-off bank conversion includes paid time off (PTO) and a personal bank for vacations. The way the contract is written is that employees get so many days off per year of service, according to Olind.
“The proposal is to change a day to eight hours, not 10, so that employees will accumulate eight hours that they can use for doctor appointments and vacations, just as they do now,” Olind said. “There won’t be a change to what they can accrue for PTO time.”
For holidays, Olind noted that depending on what day of the week a certain holiday is observed, they’ll look at how it can be worked into the four-day work schedule.
“One of the things that was very clear in the motion at the (May 16) meeting was that this was a green light to continue discussions and not to solidify anything, and to give residents, especially, a two-week notice to the June 5 start date so they know the township isn’t going to be available on Friday,” said Olind. “That all requires negotiating that agreement with the union, of course. We need to develop a letter of understanding (LOU) with the Independence Workforce Association (IWA), the union, to talk about their absence plan conversions. There is also language in their contract that promises them overtime if they work more than eight hours in a single day. Obviously, we would adjust that so it would go for the 10-hour days so they’re not automatically earning two hours of overtime every day.”
Olind said the next steps with the union are to review the status of the letter of understanding and that the union is “on board and excited to talk about this.”
She also said that once the letter is signed, which she had hoped by last Thursday, that IWA members can weigh in if they want to participate.
“That would allow us to get notice out to employees and residents no later than May 26,” Olind said. “That’s the goal, and the understanding that if we cannot provide two weeks’ notice then the date of the pilot would be pushed back following signing the LOU with the union.”
How will township residents be aware of these potential changes?
“These are samples of some of the things that would be done – announcements at township meetings, all of the social media, Township Times, Independence Television, it would go out with tax notices, water and sewer invoices, word of mouth, and signage at township facilities, and parks,” said Olind. “The idea is that there would be a QR code with that signage. Trying to figure out how we can be as comprehensive as possible. These are just the starting points.”
There were no public comments at the May 23 meeting from residents.

PHOTO: Independence Township Hall. File photo: Matt Mackinder