In an effort to “tighten our belts” and explore initiatives to reduce operating costs further, the YLWD Board of Directors has voted to close doors on Fridays while extending our hours of operation on Monday through Thursday. The new schedule will go into effect on January 1, 2012.
As a result, employees will now work a 4/10 schedule as opposed to the current flexible 9/80 schedule. Presently the District offices are open on Fridays with the workforce split between alternating Fridays.
In researching the logistics and potential benefits of this operational change, YLWD staff worked with the Finance Department at South Coast Water District (SCWD), an agency similar in size and employee number, who have been utilizing a 4/10 work schedule since late 2009. SCWD found they saved more than $21,000 in fuel and overtime expenses on the 4/10 schedule compared to their operating costs for the prior year.
While YLWD anticipates costs in fuel and overtime to decrease with the new schedule, energy usage for heating and cooling District offices would be the most dramatic decrease. Staff projects that closing one day per week will save approximately $3,000 per month in energy costs. Over the course of the next six months, YLWD staff will be closely monitoring fuel, energy and overtime expenses for cost savings.
Additional considerations for an alternate work schedule include customer service availability and employee productivity. Several studies, including those conducted at the State of Utah and the State of Hawaii 4-day work week pilot projects found that productivity is actually INCREASED during a 4-day work week verses a 5-day work week.
Availability for customers is also a consideration when adapting work week schedules. Staff did an informal survey of every walk-in customer over the course of several weeks, regardless of the day that they came in, and asked whether the customer would have any concerns with the District being open only 4 days per week, and if they were, what day of the week they would prefer the District close. Staff found that not a single customer was concerned about the District being closed one day per week, nor what day the District did close. The only voiced concern was that the District notify customers in advance so that those customers that did come into the Administration building regularly to pay their bill could alter their schedules according to the District operating hours.
Rest assured that the District will maintain an on-call presence as we do on the weekends to handle any sudden or unexpected issues or emergencies that may occur.
Starting January 1, 2012, the District Offices will open its doors on Monday – Thursday from 7:00 a.m. until 6:00 p.m. – an additional half hour at the beginning and end of the work day making it easier for customers to drop in or call the District with questions or to handle billing. We see it as adding efficiency on our end that will also keep costs down and make things more convenient for you.
