Amber Clark said the start of 2022 is looking brighter after a big announcement from Meridian Township officials.

From January 7th to February 25th, township offices will be closed on Fridays. Meridian Township employees will have a 4-day workweek. 

“It’ll cover approximately 100 of our 170 employees,” said Meridian Township Manager, Frank Walsh. 
This change applies to non-emergency employees and not Meridian Township Police or Firefighters. 

It’s just a trial for those 8 Fridays but township employee, Zach Lemaster, said it was like Christmas came early.

“I never imagined that I would work somewhere that would offer a 4 day work week,” Lemaster said. 

He said he’ll put those Fridays off to good use. 

“It’s an extra day to get any kind of chores done. Get your dishes, maybe finish up some laundry,” Lemaster said. 

He said sometimes those extra chores can weigh on him while he’s at work, so it’ll be nice to have a day he can dedicate to those errands. Clark said she’s excited to have some alone time. 

“I am a parent. I have a sixth-grader, and I am very very excited to be home on days he is at school. Like that does not happen,” Clark said. 

Walsh said he hopes they don’t have to worry about work, and can focus on themselves. 

“We just care deeply about them and we just want to make sure that we give them a break so that they can focus on their family and mental health,” Walsh said. 

Walsh said it’s a temporary change, so when February 25th comes around, the township will re-visit how it went. They’ll then decide whether or not to continue with the 4-day work week. 

He said the township apologizes for any inconvenience to residents, but they believe this won’t impact customer service.