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

2. 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

3. 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

4. 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

5. 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

6. 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.

7. 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

8. 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.

9. 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

10. 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

11. Questions?