The City of Golden, CO, is doing a trial run of a four-day workweek with its police force. Their hope is to improve officer retention and recruitment efforts.

All police department employees will move from a 40-hour workweek to a 32-hour workweek without a change in pay. City service levels and days open will not change, nor will patrol staffing and coverage, KDVR reports.

“We are calling this trial program ‘The Best for Golden‘ because we believe that the four-day workweek will raise the bar on our service to the City of Golden by improving employee retention and engagement, increasing employee wellbeing, and elevating efficiency in our operations. Organizations around the world, including governments, have seen important benefits from adopting a four-day workweek, and we are excited for Golden to be the first city in our region to experiment with this innovative program,” said Scott Vargo, City of Golden city manager.

The trial will be conducted in July 2023 and is expected to run through the end of the year and will include all employees in the Golden Police Department. The city said they chose the police force for the trial because they are already flexible when it comes to scheduling.