Howard County State’s Attorney’s Office employees are joining county employees in a transition to more flexible, four-day workweeks, which supervisors say have increased productivity and service to the public.
Since the new schedule was implemented in late July, the main phone lines are staffed from 7:30 a.m. to 6 p.m., with a 30-minute break for lunch, instead of 8 a.m. to 5 p.m., said Wayne Kirwan, state’s attorney’s office spokesman.
“It really does seem to make [employees] more productive,” said State’s Attorney Dario Broccolino.
“Being here a little earlier and a little later allows them time to get things done before things get busier in the middle of the day.”
The key to the schedule shift has been giving employees different days off to ensure complete coverage, he said.
More than 75 percent of staff members, about 30 employees, were approved for this more-flexible schedule.
“It’s win-win situation,” Broccolino said. “It’s good for the employees and good for the public.”
The only support staff not included were generally those who have children, making working earlier or later more difficult to coordinate with their schedules, he said.
The new schedule isn’t expected to extend to lawyers unless, for example, all civil cases were handled on one day of the week, Broccolino said.
County Executive Ken Ulman in July announced that employees in some departments be allowed to apply for four-day workweeks, or other more flexible schedules.
Alternative workweeks are either four, 10-hour days, or eight, nine-hours day and one eight-hour day every two weeks with one day off.
Broccolino said the state’s attorney’s office viewed Ulman’s announcement as an opportunity to creatively expand access to their offices while accomplishing Ulman’s goals of reducing commuting costs and gasoline consumption, lowering stress levels for employees and decreasing pollution.
“While all these are benefits to the employee, the thing that motivated me above all else is the expanded telephone coverage,” Broccolino said.
Several county departments have made the transition or will be making it soon to an alternative or more flexible workweek.
Todd Allen, director of the county’s Office of Human Resources, agreed with Broccolino’s assessment that employees were more productive working four-day weeks.
“As I leader, I take joy in making a better environment for employees,” said Allen, where eight employees now work flexible days, include four-day weeks.
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