Marnie Schubert, Town of Queen Creek 3CMA Conference Sept. 23-25, 2009

Town Council Approval Process On May 21, 2008, the Queen Creek Town Council approved a trial period for testing increased hours of operation of Town offices to 7 a.m. – 6 p.m., Monday through Thursday Increase of two hours daily Close Town offices on Friday Staff pay reduced by 6.25%, working 37.5 hour weeks

Town Council Approval Process cont. Trial period from June 30 – Sept 1 Statistical analysis studies conducted Customer feedback/opinion opportunities Staff believed the proposal would assist in the following areas: Customer service enhancement Budgetary savings Environmental advantages Improvement of employee morale/satisfaction Lower absenteeism

Education Fact sheets and FAQs were provided to each employee The Mayor and Town Manager conducted a news conference with local media and a news release was distributed Information and a survey were posted on the Town’s Web site and a banner ad was created Surveys were available at all Town facilities

Trial Period Results (Resident and Customer Survey) Staff conducted a resident and customer survey via walk-in and the Town’s Web site 110 were submitted (25% were walk-in) 54% indicated a preference for the expanded business hours 12% indicated a preference for the traditional business hours 35% indicated no preference

Trial Period Results (Energy Savings) The assessed energy savings was approximately $4,800 on all the buildings from July 21 – Aug 21. The savings continue to vary month-to-month, but on the average we continue to see significant annual savings. As an example, Facilities has estimated for the Development Services building alone, an estimated annual savings of $21,000. The Town also realized savings in gas and water, but the savings is not as significant as the electrical.

Trial Period Results (Employee Feedback) 180 employees were requested to respond 155 (86%) were returned 77% of the employees indicated a preference for the new hours of operation 6% indicated a preference to work the original hours of operation 17% indicated no preference

Trial Period Results (Employee Feedback) Benefit Topics Indicated by the Employees Daily productivity has increased More quality time with family members Opportunities to address daily issues during early morning and late evening hours More energy on Mondays More opportunities to exercise Changes in driving habits/carpooling Less use of vacation and sick time More coverage due to staff working same hours/days Savings on gasoline with one day less to commute More time to volunteer at school and with other volunteer organizations Better opportunities to schedule personal appointments on Fridays Improved morale More time to de-stress, rest with 3-day weekend.

Trial Period Results (Employee Feedback) Challenge topics indicated by the employees Fatigue due to the longer hours Childcare, school challenges Increased daycare expenses Scheduling conflicts with other organizations that work on Fridays Summer days are long and hot if required to work outside

Summary Staff developed an extensive public outreach effort to communicate the changes. Monitored any complaints regarding the Friday closure. Other than the occasional question, which staff promptly followed-up on, issues with the Friday closure were not submitted by residents or customers. Human Resources has recognized that employee morale has been positively impacted and satisfaction increased as a result of the new work schedule. Schedule was approved to continue throughout fiscal year 2009-10

Questions?