Sutter County goes to 9/80 work schedule

Sutter County’s implementation of a flexible work schedule will not only serve the needs of employees, but benefit departments and the county financially, according to the county’s director of human resources.

On Tuesday, the Board of Supervisors unanimously approved updates to county rules to allow for what is called a 9/80-work schedule.

Regina Romeo, director of human resources, said the employees she has spoken with are excited.

“It’s an opportunity for them to schedule their lives a little different,” said Romeo. “This allows for more time during the week to take care of matters. Instead of using vacation time to schedule appointments during the week, you might save it for your off day.”

Instead of working 10 eight-hour days in a twoweek period, employees will accumulate their 80 hours through nine days.

Employees will work nine hours most days. On Friday, employees will alternate between an eight-hour shift and a day off.

Departments could benefit from increased productivity and retaining employees who benefit from the new schedule.

Figures for the financial benefit to the county have not been determined. The report indicates cost saving could come in the form of lower electricity bills and heating and cooling costs.

The update will alter Friday hours of operation for a majority of departments.

Romeo said certain departments will never close. For departments closing every other Friday, they will make the determination as to how to best provide a level of service to the public.

“If you look at a lot of ways cities and counties operate, they have these flexible schedules,” said Romeo. “We are making it as useful and functional as possible. We’ve had discussions about ensuring our service delivery is constant.”

The update requires departments to post hours and days of operation to the public at their physical worksite and web addresses.

The update also gives County Administrative Officer, Scott Mitnick, the authority to approve whether departments can close every other Friday, according to a report by the human resources department.

Department implementation of the new schedule will occur as follows:

July 24: Assessor, Board of Supervisors, County Administrative Office, County Counsel, Human Resources.

Aug. 7: Child support services, development services.

Aug. 21: Public Health.

Sep. 4: Auditor-Controller.

Sep. 18: General Services.

Departments not listed are either unable to close, staying open every weekday while still offering the 9/80 schedule or still working on implementation.