Salina Arts & Humanities is the only City of Salina office currently operating on a four-day schedule, with its administrative offices closed Fridays, City Manager Jacob Wood confirmed to Salina311 this week.

The department has operated under the schedule since January 2025. Its public office hours are Monday through Thursday from 8 a.m. to 6 p.m., with the administrative office closed Friday.

City schedule information previously provided to Salina311 shows Arts & Humanities operating a Monday-through-Thursday workweek, with employees maintaining a 40-hour schedule. No other City office in the information reviewed had a comparable standard four-day, Monday-through-Thursday schedule with Friday off. Wood separately confirmed that distinction in his response.

“While no other City offices currently operate on a four-day schedule, several divisions and individual employees use alternative work schedules based on their operational needs,” Wood said.

Change began in January 2025

The City announced the change in a Jan. 2, 2025 news release that was published on the city's website. The new hours took effect Jan. 13.

According to the announcement, the office moved to Monday through Thursday from 8 a.m. to 6 p.m. The City said the office would remain open the same total number of public hours each week because the new schedule added service during the noon hour and extended availability until 6 p.m.

The City listed several additional reasons for the change, including reducing utility and janitorial costs and giving hourly employees a weekday to conduct personal business.

The release also stated: “Nationally, four-day work weeks help increase employee satisfaction and reduce commuting time and costs.”

Operations and Development Manager Anna Pauscher Morawitz said at the time that the extended weekday hours could benefit residents.

“We hope the public appreciates the office being open during lunch and after five, especially during Festival season,” Morawitz said in the release.

The City said employees could still assist the public during Friday or weekend programming when arrangements were made in advance. The release specifically states, “The administrative offices will be closed on Friday.”

Salina311 asked how the schedule was approved

Salina311 contacted Wood after reviewing Article 21, Section 2 of the City's personnel manual, which states that office hours of City functions are subject to approval by the City Manager and that department heads must receive approval before changing hours open to the public.

Salina311 asked Wood who approved the Arts & Humanities change and on what date, whether any other City department or office maintained public hours fewer than five days per week, and whether the Arts & Humanities Commission or City Commission had been notified.

Wood said the change “was approved in early 2025, and the City issued a press release to notify the public.”

He did not identify who approved the change or the specific date the approval was given.

Wood also did not answer whether the Arts & Humanities Commission or City Commission was notified of the schedule change.

The January 2025 City news release does not identify who approved the change. It lists Arts & Humanities Executive Director Brad Anderson as the media contact.

City says schedules are evaluated individually

After Wood confirmed Arts & Humanities was the only City office on a four-day schedule, Salina311 asked a follow-up question about consistency with departments that remain open five days a week and whether there was a specific operational reason Arts & Humanities was treated differently.

Wood did not identify a specific operational circumstance unique to Arts & Humanities. Instead, he described the City's general approach to employee and department scheduling.

“When considering an alternative schedule, the City evaluates the nature of the operation, service expectations, public access requirements, staffing coverage, and whether the change can create measurable efficiencies without reducing service quality,” Wood said.

Wood said different City services require different schedules.

“The City uses a variety of work schedules to meet the differing demands of municipal operations and public service delivery,” Wood said. “While many administrative functions operate on a traditional eight hour schedule, other services require ten hour, twelve hour, or continuous 24 hour coverage.”

He pointed to public safety, emergency response and utilities as examples of operations that may require around-the-clock staffing. Other departments, he said, can use 10- or 12-hour shifts to extend service availability or maintain continuous coverage with fewer shift changes.

“Traditional eight hour schedules remain appropriate for many offices and functions where regular public access and weekday coverage are most important,” Wood said.

Wood said staffing requirements, public access, response times, workload, employee safety and continuity of service are among the factors considered by the City.

“This approach recognizes that one schedule does not fit every City function and allows each department to use the structure that best supports reliable, efficient service to the community,” Wood said.

The City's response establishes that employees and divisions throughout municipal government can use alternative work schedules. However, Wood confirmed that Arts & Humanities remains the only City office currently operating on a four-day schedule, and the department's administrative office remains closed to the public on Fridays.

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