Atlanta plans 4-day work weeks, work from home

By January, Atlanta is planning for some employees in every department to work fewer days a week or from home.

The work-from-home program would be at least one day a week, according to what Mandy Schmitt, the city’s director of sustainability, told the Atlanta City Council’s Utilities Committee. “Compressed work weeks” could mean, for example, a city employee working 10 hours a day for four days a week, she said.

Some city agencies already are practicing both initiatives, and greater employee productivity has been noticed, Schmitt said. City officials believe the plans will result in less driving by workers, which improves air quality and reduces the energy and water used in city buildings.

— Eric Stirgus