Community Government
City shortens hours at its Civic Center by 30 minutes to improve staff morale
Starting April 1, the city of Gig Harbor will close its doors at 4:30 p.m.
The City Council voted at its March 9 meeting to shorten hours at the Civic Center by half an hour, which falls in line with other local jurisdictions. Working hours will not change, and staff will still be able to work flexible schedules around that time frame.
A slightly earlier closing time may improve staff wellness and help the city retain staff, many of whom do not live in the Gig Harbor area, city Administrator Katrina Knutson told city councilmembers at a Dec. 11, 2025, study session.
Staff retention
In her December presentation, Knutson noted that, when the city had first presented this item to the public about a year and a half ago, “we received, I won’t say ‘significant public input,’ but input of, ‘Hey, we’re paying taxes, we have an expectation of coming in and seeing somebody if we need them there.’”
“We had other items being addressed at that time, so we chose to pull back, stay open Monday through Friday, 8 [a.m.] to 5 [p.m.] Speed back up now to current day, we have many city staff who do not live in Gig Harbor or the Gig Harbor area that are commuting distances to be here … and we want to retain our staff,” Knutson said. “That is one of our top goals in our city strategic plan. The request today is that council move the official operating hours … to 8 [a.m.] to 4:30 [p.m.] Monday through Friday. That is only a 30-minute change.”
Knutson said that the city had been conducting “on and off” people-counting between 4:30 p.m and 5 p.m. It found that an average of zero to two people walked through the door to receive service during that timeframe.
“So, you might say, ‘Okay, well, that’s not that much. Why change?’” Knutson continued. “Well, we have a lot of younger staff, also, that have kids that are playing sports, kids that are in plays or things that being here until 5 [p.m] does not make it conducive for them to get home. … We’re hearing that it’s impacting our staff.”
Other jurisdictions
A document presented to the Gig Harbor City Council in December lists office closure time for nearby government buildings.
She said that the city also looked at nearby jurisdictions in both Pierce and Kitsap counties. Many have either a full day’s closure or a modified shift one day per week, where they are not open for a full nine hours. She also said that city managers whom the city of Gig Harbor had talked to had told them that staff had said they were better able to complete work with a full day to focus just on their work.
“Although that would be good for staff, we did hear that that was perhaps too far for Gig Harbor,” Knutson said.
City promotes organizational benefits
Knutson also listed the organizational benefit and fiscal impact in documents presented to the council. But she noted that “it’s hard to know what the fiscal impact is, and how many of our staff would utilize this and feel more supported by this.” She offered anecdotal information that, at a luncheon earlier that day, three staffers thanked her for bringing the idea to the council for consideration.
Knutson said the city hopes the reduced hours produce improvements in staff well-being and a reduction in commute-related stress. She also highlighted that shorter hours could lead to a lower risk of burnout, better morale and organizational performance, increased staff retention and a host of other benefits.
In response to a question from former Councilmember Roger Henderson, Knutson said that the city would notify the union, but didn’t foresee the union having a problem with it, since it provides more options for them.
“‘I haven’t been able to make it to my child’s game,’ or ‘It’s very difficult for me to get to daycare on time’ — and I think that is just a reality of everyday life for our staff,” Knutson said.
The council passed the ordinance shortening center open hours in its passage of the consent agenda at its March 9 meeting.
The change applies only to the city’s Civic Center.