This might actually be a good way to attract and retain workers without asking taxpayers for more money.
Wednesday, August 30, 2023
Instead of Higher Pay, How About Fewer Hours?
San Juan County, located in Washington, recently voted unanimously to transition to a 32-hour work week for about 70% of its workforce. Workers will receive the same amount of money for fewer hours. County officials there say that, contrary to what you might think, this actually helps them keep their budget under control and avoids a tax hike. Deputy Sheriffs and office administrators will still be expected to work 40 hours. Moreover, the union officials who negotiated this deal states productivity actually increases with employers who have made this transition.
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23 comments:
You will do anything to prop up your boy McClure's administration. Stupid idea. Work less hours and still make shit wages. Of course, that frees you up to work more at your second job to make ends meet. Reagan would be proud!
You are a shameless shill for this administration and their spoon fed BS.
Work less earn less. I'm comfortable with this. Work less, get paid the same is peak progressive 2023. How will we pay for your war with this math? Non-contributors always have big, stupid ideas.
Great for San Juan County's budget but will be a tough adjustment for the family budgets who are getting forced into a 20% haircut.
That said, I think many will ultimately prefer the arrangement, depending on how the hours are structured (4 day work week or 6.5 hour days) would make it easier for them to take second or weekend jobs.
What happens when a watermain breaks on Friday after everyone has finished their 32 hours? Instant overtime for everyone. Typical union grab and weak dem thought processes.
I often read posts like this and wonder if you're serious or just putting out click-bait. Then I remember that even if it is just clickbait some idiot in the democrat party will think it's a great idea and propose it without any concern for the obvious.
Such is the world we live in today, and I'll note that there is already a proposal in the PA legislature to do REQUIRE large employers to do the same thing. With that in mind:
1) I'd be very leery of anything coming out of the Pacific Northwest, particularly Oregon and Washington state. I believe it was Washington state where the "defund the police" movement first took root, and that's been an undisputable disaster. So forgive me if I'm highly skeptical of this proposal.
2) There are so many practical problems with this proposal, the largest of which is a drop in productivity. Yes, I know the union officials stated it would go up, but let's be real. It's not going up enough to make up for the 20% drop in the time employees are at work. If it does, the employees were either being mismanaged or weren't doing their jobs.
3) With that in mind, when does employee overtime begin with the new proposal? One has to assume that it now starts at anything above 32 hours. I'd expect the overtime numbers to slowly creep up as a temporary productivity bump (if there even is one) returns to normal.
4) Finally, if there isn't a sufficient amount of work to justify employees working forty hours, there are probably more employees than needed. This is another reason why the union officials have to create a phony productivity bump - in order to cover the fact that there are too many employees currently on the job.
5) There is already a shortage of employees across the country, the result of wages being driven up by disastrous policies at the national level. This will not make that improve.
6) I will note that the article you link to notes that employees will then have more time to spend at their SECOND jobs. However, this seems to counteract some of the stated benefits of the 32-hour policy (fresher, more focused employees).
This proposal does not save the taxpayers anything and will result in decreased services to the taxpayers. Let's not be fooled and follow bad policy decisions made by idiots on the other side of the country. We've already seen what happens when we do that.
Well better up the pay for the sheriff's and COs and anyone else that has to work 40 or more. Just like northampton County the employees that work weekends and holidays or a 24 hour facility don't get any appreciation from this County. Did chucky or Lamont float this idea by you.soinds like a Lamont idea.
What am I talking about 12% over 6 years. Guys giving away the bank. Lol. What a joke what an idoit. Braggs about a 40 million dollar surplus then crying there is no money for employees. Should I give them a 18% raise. YES. Make them whole.
No and for several reasons:
The first they will consider no insurance benefits.
Second the employee will have extreme difficulty trying to find supplemental job to make up the higher pay that they need/requesting, in hours that will likely equate to a full-time position but just under so they can make it part time. Essentially work full time but so many hours they cannot work a second job.
Third, the problem is the how do you value your worker? Is the worker skilled, educated, and dedicated. When the job requires an education are you valuing that education into the job pay? Are you paying them increases as they become more skilled? Are you paying workers who dedicate themselves to their work?
Cutting hours is not the answer its valuing the employee for the hard work they do. When a job that requires and education is paid the same or equal to that of someone flipping burgers at Burger King, you obviously are not valuing the employee.
"You are a shameless shill for this administration and their spoon fed BS."
I know of no one in the McClure admin who has proposed this, nor have I discussed it with them. I saw this idea in GOVERNING, an online source I look at frequently. I would ordinarily dismiss this idea, but thought it might make sense. Many people like myself really hate the idea of being a slave to a job. I love having more time to myself. But there are others who like making lots of money and there are lots of jobs out there. It also could make NorCo a more attractive place to work.
But then again, I could be completely wrong. I am throwing it out there because that's what ideas are for - discussion.
What happens when a water main breaks at 2 in the morning. Very poor argument. Try harder. Or do water mains only break during banking hours . LOL.
This isn't a D or a R idea. This is a stupid idea. By that woke or the people who think people with a outtie not an innie should be using the ladies room
Norco employees currently work a 35 hour workweek due to paid lunches and 2 15 minute breaks
Minus 8 more would be 27
Taxpayers would lynch any executive that supports this idea
I would be in favor of this. I value my time more than my job.
Fewer hours means less time to provide the services that taxes pay for? Sorry, if I do not accept the premise made by the union who won this change for its constituency. If they are incorrect, or fudging that assertion, how is this loss made up? Likely poorer/ slower service. The alternative is to hire more people, with typically decent or better benefit packages in the public sector. That is a recipe that is going to turn out pretty sour for taxpayers.
"What happens when a water main breaks at 2 in the morning."
same thing that happens now, I expect. Most Public Works offices are NOT open at 2 in the morning. Whomever is on call deals with it
Norco employees now work 35 hours a week and get paid for 40.
Include the ass time for sheriffs, clerks, public defenders and so on waiting for a judge to take the bench and most - not all especially COs- are paid fairly if not overpaid
what are current hourly rates for administrators?
This is what is wrong with our country narrative now. Why are we behind in technology education etc? Let's work less because work life balance is important. Let's not ding kids for not doing homework. Let's not care or have pride in our work anymore. Let someone pay me a lot of money to do nothing and work from home without any supervision. Why are other countries ahead of us? We are becoming lazy and entitled. We will get what we ask for. People fought for this country. People worked hard for the American dream it wasn't handed to them . This is just messed up
Isn't Northampton County a three shift employer? When you work around the clock there is no savings in going to a 32 hour work week. Sorry Bernie, you flunked out on this one. The County is working short in almost all their departments. Cutting back their hours ????????????
Lots of hate for the idea here, but the reality is that this is a viable alternative to pay raises. Personally, I have a side business to help pay the bills, but between family life and general chores and maintenance, I don't have time to really make it thrive. There's zero room in the budget for stuff like landscapers, babysitters, or minor car maintenance. Have to do it all yourself. Which is fine. But you either need time or money. Having a full day to devote to either more self-produced income or in-kind "income" from DIY work would be a life changer. Right now you can work harder and harder and you see no benefit from it. You'd think the "bootstraps" crew here would love the idea. But they're stuck thinking that these jobs are on a factory assembly line where more hours = more units. Bit it's not. Measure performance based on results, not hours stuck at your desk.
We still need to make the wealthy pay their fair share of taxes. Then shut down those charter schools that are a drag on the commonwealth taxes, they are not accountable and are no better than our public schools. Lastly, stop offering private industries tax breaks, our community has the best workers in the country and our local political administrations needs to sell that to business that want to come into our communities.
they forget too that americans had to fight for the 40 hour workweek in the first place. why not go back to 60 hour weeks? americans are so dang lazy these days!!
This is ridiculous, unless of course they have lot's of idle time doing nothing where they're at. Around here we have to cram 50 hours of work in a 40 hour workweek. If the workweek got reduced to 32 hours then we'd need to hire the commensurate number of employees to get the work done. Thereby there's no cost savings. Also, it's hard enough to fill the positions we have open now, let along adding 20% more. So stupid.
Less work; less pay
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