The US Navy has decided to abandon a plan that would have mandated recruiters to work six days a week. This decision came in the wake of a report revealing that the service’s nearly 3,900 recruiters had been informed of the extra working day per week, a move conceived in response to the current recruiting crisis.
Key Points:
- The initial decision for a six-day work week was presented as “a warfighting imperative” by Rear Adm. Alexis Walker, the head of Navy Recruiting Command.
- Vice Adm. Rick Cheeseman, Chief of Naval Personnel, later announced that this policy would not be implemented, affirming the Navy’s commitment to work-life balance.
- Despite the cancellation of the six-day work week policy, the Navy continues to face a projected shortfall in its recruiting target, expected to miss the goal by 6,000 to 7,000 recruits by the end of this fiscal year.
- Rear Adm. Walker suggested in an email that recruiters might return to a regular work week if they managed to bring in more recruits.
- The recruitment issue has been emphasized as critical to the Navy’s capabilities, with Walker stating the lack of adequate numbers impacts the Navy’s ability to “fight and win.”
