San Juan County starts 32-hour workweek for government employees
Oct 2, 2023, 3:37 PM
Many people dream of a 32 hour workweek. In San Juan county, they got it. (Getty Images)
(Getty Images)
San Juan County has made the move to a 32-hour workweek for its employees. It began Sunday, Oct. 1.
In an updated statement on its website, the county stated it “is confident that employees will continue to provide the same quality of service and output the public has come to expect. “The county added it will “conduct periodic reviews to ensure services are being maintained.”
The county emphasized that the schedule won’t come with a change in services. As employees shift to a 32-hour workweek, county offices will remain open to the public and hold regular hours of operation.
However, some departments may adjust their hours or close one day a week. But the county also noted hours of operation will be properly noticed and remain consistent once a new precedent is set.
In addition, the county’s statement reported the San Juan County Sheriff’s Office and its services “will remain unimpacted, as do other emergency responses performed by the Departments of Emergency Management, Public Works, and Superior Court Services.”
The county explains in its statement that the move is being managed by the 100/80/100 rule. That means, “An employee receives 100% of their pay, for 80% of the hours, for 100% of the output.”
Work week change was approved in August
The County Council voted in August to approve the change to a 32-hour workweek for government employees without dropping their pay. It was one of the first local governments to make such a move, and city leaders said that it was done to, “(improve) employee recruitment and retention, and prioritizing the well-being of islanders.”
More on San Juan County: 32-hour workweek becomes a reality
As labor costs rise and problems with getting positions fully staffed plague the county, the plan for a reduced work week will hopefully increase employee satisfaction without costing the taxpayer any extra money. The county said that they were operating with a “chronic 10-15% job vacancy.”
“The workplace of today is not the same workplace that existed even two years ago – retention, work-life balance, compensation, and remote work, are all issues the County and likely most employers must find a way to deal with in order to maintain a workforce,” Mike Thomas, San Juan County Manager, said in a statement.
The county cited a study from the U.K. that showed that a 32-hour workweek leads to high productivity, greater job satisfaction, less absenteeism, and greater recruitment and retention of employees.
“The 32-hour workweek is both fiscally responsible and socially responsive. It takes into account a full-time, working islander’s way of life.” County Council Chair Cindy Wolf said. “This change brings the opportunity to spend more concentrated time with family, volunteer locally, travel, schedule medical appointments, and do all the many things which are important to personal and community well-being without interrupting workflow.”
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“The Gee & Ursula Show” addressed the issue in August after the vote
“I love the idea,” co-host Ursula Reutin said. “Maybe you’re just going to work smarter and work harder in those 32 hours than the 40 hours. And this is a way to actually keep people working, maybe get more people to work. And so I would be okay, but I just want to see how it plays out.”
“I’ll tell you why I’ll be OK,” co-host Gee Scott explained. “When people are rested, and they come to work, and they’re like, ‘Yo, I had a good three days off.’ I would argue that some people get more work done in four days, than some in five.”
The county said it won’t be taking away any services to the island residents, but office hours might be shorter.
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“I can’t believe that services aren’t going to be cut,” Ursula responded. “Whether it’s King County or the City of Seattle or any other county, there are services, and there are things that are not happening because of some of the changes that were made during the pandemic.”
Contributing: Steve Coogan
