Police Recruitment

Colo. PD extends 32-hour work week program after successful start

The Golden Police Department launched the four-day week program in order to recruit and retain more officers; it has helped with productivity, response times and morale

February 13, 2024 12:03 PM

Colo. PD sees benefits of 4-day work week as pilot comes to a close — “We’re not expecting people to work less, we’re asking them to work fewer hours but we’re asking them to get the same or more done in a shorter period of time,” City Manager Scott Vargo said.

By Joanna Putman
Police1

GOLDEN, Colo. — After a successful pilot program, the Golden Police Department will extend its 32-hour work week experiment, CBS News reported.

The pilot program was launched to keep the department fully staffed in the face of a shortage of officer applications, according to the report. The officers and civilian workers of the department did not have benefits cut and were still paid their 40-hour workweek salaries. But they only work four, eight-hour days per week.

“We are still seeing response times that are typically less than the response times under the previous schedule. We are seeing more calls for service activity under that previous model, and we have a level of morale and engagement with the staff that is in the 90-plus percentile,” Golden City Manager Scott Vargos said.

Several officers reported positive impacts on their personal lives away from work, according to the report.

“I’m able to make more of my kids’ outings at school and be present with their academies... I’m less stressed,” Crime Scene Investigator Latar Durand said.