County Switches To Four-Day Workweek

By Tammy Gray-Searles
   Navajo County Government offices will be closed on Fridays beginning in August as the result of a shift to a four-day workweek designed to save on utility costs.
   County offices will be open to serve the public from 7 a.m. to 6 p.m., Monday through Thursday, as a temporary cost-cutting measure. The schedule will be re-evaluated in six months to determine the actual savings and whether there are any customer service issues.
   The courts and the sheriff’s office are exempted from the four-day work schedule, and will continue to operate as usual.
   According to Financial Systems Analyst Cris Parisot, Navajo County is the first county in the state to shift to a four-day workweek, although some cities have already made the change. She noted that Pinetop-Lakeside shifted to a four-day business week in March, and so far has had positive feedback. A bill allowing counties to adjust their business hours to four days a week was signed by the governor on July 10.
   The request to shift to the four-day workweek was unanimously approved, although with some reservations, by the board of supervisors Monday. Supervisors Jonathan Nez and Jerry Brownlow expressed concern that the change could negatively impact those who normally plan to travel to take care of business with the county on Fridays.
   “My concern is my constituents who have to travel four to five hours and usually take off on a Friday to do it,” Nez remarked. “But since this is a pilot project, I’m willing to support it and see how it goes.”
   Brownlow expressed similar concerns, noting that he has received some negative feedback from citizens regarding the proposed change.
   “Because it is a six-month pilot project I’m going to support it. I think we can at least look at it and try it, and if it doesn’t work we can always go back,” Brownlow said.
   Parisot told the board that the business week change is expected to save the county $87,159 annually in utility costs. She noted that it is also expected to improve service to the public, increase employee satisfaction, and reduce overtime and sick leave hours. She explained that the change will allow members of the public greater access to county services Monday through Thursday, and some citizens will no longer need to take time off from their jobs to access county services.
   “This is a well thought-out plan,” Supervisor Jesse Thompson commented. “Public works has been going through that mode as well and they have been very successful.”
   County Manager Jimmy Jayne told the board that there have been no complaints regarding the four-day schedule that public works has been using.
   “I’ve not received a single complaint from the public on the current public works schedule,” he said. “Contractors are able to come in early in the day or later in the evening. I have had positive comments on access to government during those days.”
   Thomspon suggested that county officials not only publicize the change in print and on the county Web site, but also meet with other local leaders, especially those on the reservation, to make sure the word is spread about the change in operating hours.
   Supervisor J.R. DeSpain asked how the elected officials felt about the change.
   Assessor Cammy Darris and Sheriff K.C. Clark both told the board that they support the change.
   “I’ve talked to a number of people in Holbrook and most believe the pilot program won’t hurt, and a few are happy because they won’t have to take off (work) to do county business,” Darris said. “I think it’s positive for both the employees and the communities, and it’s serving the citizens by trying to save money in these economic times. I think we should give it a chance for at least six months and see what happens.”
   Clark commented, “Although it doesn’t affect the sheriff’s office, I do believe it is a benefit to the county and the citizens.”
   In approving the change, the supervisors also agreed to review the schedule at their last meeting in January to determine whether it is successful.