County to revisit four-day work week
By Steve Herring
Published in News on January 12, 2015 1:46 PM
MOUNT OLIVE -- The four-day work week that most Wayne County government offices have been operating under since August 2008 is being revisited.
Most offices operate on 10-hour shifts Monday through Thursday and are closed on Fridays under the plan implemented by former County Manager Lee Smith.
Smith argued that the schedule would produce energy savings while the 7 a.m. to 6 p.m. schedule would provide a time for county employees to handle administrative work.
Commissioner Joe Daughtery Thursday said he thinks that it is "wrong" that citizens cannot get the services they need on Fridays.
There ought to be a way that the county can spread its staffing out to ensure all offices are open on Friday, Daughtery said during the board's daylong planning retreat held at Steele Memorial Library.
The county has already proven that it can done by opening the Veterans Services Office on Friday, he said.
"I want the four-day work week addressed," he said. "I want it so our citizens can go and get the services that they need when it is convenient to them, not when it is convenient to us."
Commissioner Bill Pate said that when most people, himself included, take a day off to run errands it is on a Friday.
Being closed on Fridays is inconvenient for the county's customers, Pate said.
County Manager George Wood said he wanted to be clear on what the board was saying.
"Are you all saying that you don't object to four (10-hour days) as long as somebody is there Friday?" Wood said. "An example I use there is like our finance department. A lot of those work four 10s, but if you come in on Friday, somebody is there. It is flex time.
"Some people may take Monday off, and some may take Friday off."
Daughtery said he liked to offer county employees the flexibility in their work schedule to work a four-day week.
Pate said the four 10-hour days works well for some people. For others it does not because of family issues, he said.
The director of one of the county's larger departments likes the four-day week because it helps in recruitment of employees, Wood said.
"But that department is large enough that we can spread it out and still be open on Friday," Wood said.
People could still have three-day weekends and be off either on Monday or Friday, he said.
"Rotate the (weekend) schedule, and I don't think you will get very much pushback," Commissioner Ray Mayo said.
Wood said he would look at the four-day week while still providing five days a week of service and report back to commissioners.