Lake City Management Looking to Sell Four-Day Workweek. Explanations & Presentation Not Ready for Prime Time
December 2, 2024 3:15 am | 2 min read
Photo: Jon Tyson via Unsplash | Columbia County
Observer graphic
LAKE CITY, FL – Lake City Management claims giving employees a four-day workweek is a measure to assist employment and lessen turnover. Tonight in City Hall, City Management will make its case.
City Manager Don Rosenthal and HR Director BillyJo Bible provided two scenarios for a four-day employee workweek: open five days and open four days.
The City PowerPoint is here. The colors have been inverted to make reading easier.
The City slide showing turnover rates gives no
explanation where the City numbers came from.
According to the City PowerPoint, both scenarios would extend the City business hours one hour in the morning and the evening. See the first slide. The City has not numbered the slides. (page 437)
The PowerPoint (pg. 438) points out that the City has a high turnover rate.
The City Manager claims that a four-day workweek that coincides with the City being open four days is more advantageous than a four-day workweek with the City open five days. (pages 439 and 440)
The City Management’s claims of advantages for employees range from more family time, better mental health, reduced commute times, lower health care costs, lower vehicle costs, an increase in productivity, increasing efficiencies by reducing inefficiencies, and better morale. (pages 441 - 443)
Another plus found by the City for a four-day work week is that maintenance, carpet cleaning, and IT upgrades can be accomplished on Fridays. (page 444)
Management's disadvantages for the four-day work week were few: overtime pay was likely to increase; employees on call for three days; City offices were not staffed on Fridays. (pg. 445)
A four-day workweek for employees would change the City's hours of operation: Mon-Fri, 7 am to 6 pm, or a four-day workweek would have the City open for business Mon-Thurs, 7 am-6 pm. (pg. 446)
The Report to Council recommends the Council review the “option for a 4-day work week.” No action is scheduled for Monday’s meeting.
The Management claims, “Studies have shown municipalities who [sic] have a four day [sic] work week save money” and other things.
While other cities in Florida have adopted the four-day workweek, Management has provided no studies or anything demonstrating its conclusions of the value of a four-day workweek.
Management also claims the "financial impact" for the City: "Could save thousands of dollars."
Management has provided no case studies, no spreadsheets showing the savings or the costs, and no explanation of what saving “thousands of dollars” actually looks like.
Epilogue
Years of turmoil began in 2021 (See Lake City 2021: The Number One Story in Columbia County Was Lake City). Lake City became the laughing stock of municipalities from Florida to Alaska.
Lake City is following in the dysfunctional “government by PowerPoint” footsteps of the infamous County 5.
The lack of comprhensive supporting information regarding the City switching to a four-day workweek in a little over three weeks demonstrates that the City’s Management is still not ready for prime time.
