UPDATE 4/17: Changing to a 5-day workweek has now had its day in front of the Board of Supervisors and failed 2-1. See the update HERE for more.
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ORIGINAL STORY:
The La Paz County Board of Supervisors is to publicly discuss changing the County’s hours to a 5-day week.
The item on the agenda for Monday, April 17th reads:
“Discussion and possible action to change County office hours open to the public to Monday through Friday 8:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m.”
Several years ago a change to the County’s office hours meant that employees could work 10 hours per day for 4 days per week, with the offices closing on Fridays, potentially leading to savings on energy costs and a boost in employee morale. It reflected a broader trend toward the so-called ‘compressed workweek’ across the nation and was greeted with enthusiasm locally by many County employees.
But critics of the 4-day workweek have said that it creates an inconvenience for taxpayers, many of whom wish to do business with the County in person, and sometimes on Fridays. Because most of the County’s offices are closed on Fridays, it is noted that forms can’t be filled in, bills can’t be paid, queries can’t be answered and elected officials and their representatives are unavailable for the entirety of a whole weekday that is worked by most other entities and agencies. In addition, corporations and businesses who may need to reach County offices are unable to do so on Fridays.
One such critic is District 2 Supervisor Duce Minor, who said repeatedly during the 2016 campaign that he would like to eradicate the 4-day workweek and take the County back to 5 days. It will require either Supervisor Holly Irwin or Supervisor D.L. Wilson to join him in such a vote Monday, and if they do, it will be duly changed.
Here are some of the arguments that proponents of each outcome may be expected to make.
They should be working 5 days.For all reasons mentioned and others.
Why is ParkerLiveOnline taking the side of the 5 days??? People wanting to come in have MORE time not less under the 4 day system, the offices are open after normal working hours. For working people that’s way MORE convenient. So if this is abut tax payers please keep it the way it is!!!
This article doesn’t take a side but presents arguments from both as fairly as possible. Elsewhere I’ve taken the opposite position! Feel free to add your own discussion too.
I think it’s pretty even.
With the county finances as they are the workers at the county offices don’t have many perks of their job. They haven’t had a raise in years. They have only had 2 COLA raises in 6 years at least. Many county workers have a second job to supplement their income and this will take away from that. Yes, they get medical and paid time off but that is just like every other full time job and even that was in jeopardy as the county barely paid the fees and was a few months behind. The average worker at fast food or Walmart makes more than some of the county workers. How are you supposed to support a family on that? Most of the workers are happy with their jobs so do the supervisors really want to tick them off in this crisis? I know they want a reduction in force but making it miserable to work at the county is not the way to go. They may just jump ship and then who would work for them? The pay is low for the jobs they do. Most of the offices have staff that are cross trained so they can do other duties as well as their own and there is no raise in sight.
It is more cost effective for the county to have 4 ten hour days. We are trying to save money and not spend more. The savings on utilities alone are probably in the thousands. And do we really want all those county workers who take the county cars home to have more wear and tear and use a lot more gas as there will be 5 round trips to where ever they live instead of 4.
I think a lot of the arguments are from people who are jealous that they have to work 5 days.
The fact that they give us an extra two hours during the week is an excellent reason to keep it a four day week.
Tax payers want to see someone then we can make it a point to as I did when I went and paid taxes on property .
It wasn’t an inconvenience whatsoever.
Keep it as is and concentrate on our counties money issues instead .
Thanks .
Smh
The extended hours cater to all the employees of those “other entities” mentioned that work a 5 day week and don’t have time to leave their jobs to go to a county office. The extended hours make it possible to do so since workers can run errands to county offices after they leave their jobs.
If there were so many people that didnt like the 4 day week, why werentt they at board meetings complaining EVER? I work at the health department. We never hear any complaints about the hours, quite the contrary. We get alot of people in before 8 because it is most convenient, especially for our nursing services. I do work a second job on Fridays because we havent had a raise in 8 years, if I have to go back to working on Fridays I will have to give up my 2nd job and lose the extra income with no raise in sight from the county. This is just sad. Moral is down enough and now they want to take away the one last perk we have. SMH
Keep the 5 day work week.
Optinon 1: Stager your work day hours EEs who want to work 7-3, 8-4, 9-5, and 10-6.
Option 2: If you cant get away from the 10 hour work days – some take Monday off and some take Friday off and keep all your tax payers happy.
An other alternative is 8 9s with either a Monday or Friday off. Week 1: m-f 9hrs/day, week 2: m-w 9 hrs/day with thr 8/hrs and Friday off – this option works with Monday off too.
Note: It is proven the 10 hour/day is less productive, people tire out and EE cost (salary, wages, and fringes) rise.
Actually the opposite effect has been noted; i.e. Increased productivity:
http://money.cnn.com/2015/04/27/pf/4-day-work-week/
Easier to furlough on 5-8’s. You now work 4 8’s and either close Friday as it is, or some get Monday off, some Friday. 🙁
The county supervisors.
Think about that and what it means.
To even be on the agenda when this county is in a financial crisis is pathetic .
Concentrate on paying your employees not making life worse on them.
Come on supervisors , get your head out of your asses.
Underpaid officers , and employees ane overpaid “supervisors”.
Thanks for nothing.
I’ve been at the county two years, working with the public on a daily basis. There have been a handful of complaints about not being available on Fridays; but we have easily 10x that amount of positive comments about the public being able to come in starting at 7:00 am until 6:00 pm.
The morale for county employees is in the toilet right now and they want to take away one of the few benefits? The timing is poor at best. As noted in previous comments, many people have a second job, and this would just make an unnecessary burden for them. To say nothing of a decrease in productivity.
Thank you John, for being a supporter of the 4-day workweek. Your article last August was wonderful
The company I work for has worked 4 10’s for over 20 years. Some people are off on Mondays and some people are off Fridays. I love Mondays off. It has been proven that people call in sick less when they have 3 day weekends. I take less time off for doctor/dentist appointments because I schedule my appointments on Mondays. Employees pay less for babysitting because they pay for 4 days instead of 5 days, that is like a raise in pay. You are only driving to work 4 days instead of 5 days so you are using less gas, that is like a raise in pay. Monday and Fridays are slower days, so working short staff doesn’t really matter.
Furlough is actually awful for the employee. If they are barely making it now with full pay how are they supposed to manage with less?
I would like to hear your reasons as well
Waiting .
Or you just wanna instigate on a matter that doesn’t even have to with you??