HomeMy WebLinkAbout04 RENEWAL OF FIELD SERVICES WORK SCHEDULE & HOLIDAY CLOSURE PROGRAMSUBJECT: RENEWAL OF FIELD SERVICES 4/10 WORK SCHEDULE AND CITY HALL
HOLIDAY CLOSURE PROGRAM FOR 2014
SUMMARY
As a pilot program in calendar year 2013, City Hall was closed on the days between
Christmas Day and New Years Eve, with employees using accrued paid leave for their
regularly scheduled hours during this time period. Also as a pilot program in calendar
year 2013, Field Services personnel were assigned to a 4/10 work schedule during
Daylight Savings Time. Formal authorization from the City Council will allow the City to
implement these programs once again in 2014, in accordance with City Council
direction.
RECOMMENDATION
It is recommended that the City Council take the following actions, in accordance with
previous City Council direction:
1) Renew for calendar year 2014 the Field Services 4/10 Work Schedule as set
forth in the City's current memorandum of understanding (MOU) with the Tustin
Municipal Employees Association (TMEA); and
2) Renew for calendar year 2014 the City Hall Holiday Closure program as set forth
in the City's current memorandum of understanding (MOU) with the Tustin
Municipal Employees Association (TMEA); and
3) Extend the City Hall Holiday Closure by one additional day through Friday,
January 2, 2015.
FISCAL IMPACT
The holiday closure is expected to result in cost savings due to the reduction in facility
costs (e.g. HVAC, electrical), the reduced use of part-time employees during the
closure, and the payment of accrued paid leave hours at December 2014 salary rates,
when rates are potentially lower than they will be in the future, when employees'
City Council Agenda Report
March 4, 2014
Renewal of Field Services 4/10 Work Schedule and City Hall Holiday Closure Program for 2014
Page 2
salaries may be higher due to promotions, merit increases, and /or cost -of- living
adjustments. Further, the City's unfunded liability for paid leave will be reduced due to
the requirement that employees use accrued leave hours for all regularly scheduled
hours during the holiday closure (18 to 26 hours for most employees). The Field
Services 4/10 Work Schedule is expected to result in nominal cost savings as a result of
improved efficiency, due to the ability to begin the workday earlier when parks and
streets are less busy and the ability to follow through on tasks over a longer sustained
period.
BACKGROUND AND DISCUSSION
During labor negotiations in 2013, the City and TMEA agreed on a two -year labor
contract from July 1, 2013 through June 30, 2015. As part of this agreement, the City
implemented two pilot programs for 2013 that were scheduled to sunset at the
conclusion of 2013 unless affirmatively renewed by the City for 2014.
Field Services 4/10 Work Schedule
The City implemented a pilot program in with Field Services staff worked a 4/10
schedule during Daylight Savings Time in 2013, with half of the staff working a Monday
through Thursday schedule and half of the staff working a Tuesday through Friday
schedule.
Employees were pleased with the pilot program and would like to renew the program in
2014. The Public Works Department found the program to be a success, noting
improved efficiency (due to beginning the workday sooner when parks and streets are
less busy and the ability to carry out tasks over a longer sustained period), improved
employee morale, fewer absences on regularly scheduled work days, and no negative
comments from the public.
Under the terms of the TMEA MOU, this pilot program will automatically sunset in 2013
unless affirmatively renewed by the City for calendar year 2014.
City Hall Holiday Closure
The City also implemented a pilot program in which City Hall was closed on the days
between Christmas Day and New Year's Eve in 2013. Excluding the Police Department,
each employee who was regularly assigned to work on one or more days during this
time period was required to use accrued paid leave (e.g. General Leave, the City's
combined sick/vacation leave) for his /her regularly scheduled hours for each day he /she
would otherwise have been scheduled to work. As it has been for many years, City Hall
was already scheduled to be closed on Christmas Eve, Christmas Day, New Year's
City Council Agenda Report
March 4, 2014
Renewal of Field Services 4/10 Work Schedule and City Hall Holiday Closure Program for 2014
Page 3
Eve, and New Year's Day; therefore the City Hall closure resulted in City Hall being
closed an additional three (3) days.
Prior to the implementation of the holiday closure in 2013, all City departments
(excluding the Police Department, which remained open on a 24 -hour basis) carefully
evaluated the potential impact to the public caused by City Hall being closed an
additional three days and made arrangements to ensure critical services were not
interrupted and to mitigate any negative consequences, including providing advance
notice to citizens and customers, scheduling services in advance, and ensuring that
employees were placed on standby duty as necessary.
Across departments, the feedback from employees was very positive. In addition, the
City Manager met with each department's management staff to assess the impact of the
2013 holiday closure from an operational perspective. The consensus from all affected
departments was there were no major service issues caused by the holiday closure and
the closure was very popular with employees, providing a mechanism to enhance
employee relations while also reducing costs.
Under the terms of the TMEA MOU, this pilot program will automatically sunset in 2013
unless affirmatively renewed by the City for calendar year 2014.
Based on the timing of the holidays in 2014, a City Hall closure under the terms of the
TMEA would result in City Hall being closed an additional three (3) days, through
Thursday, January 1, 2015. However, based on the specific days on which the
Christmas and New Year holidays fall in December 2014 and January 2015, TMEA has
agreed with the City's recommendation to extend the City Hall Holiday Closure by one
additional day through Friday, January 2, 2015. Due to the alternate Friday 9/80 work
schedule, with the closure through January 2, 2015, all affected employees will be
required to take the same amount of time off (three regularly scheduled work days)
using accrued leave hours from their paid leave banks.
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Derick YasL@a
Human Resources Manager
arles H. Robinson
Deputy City Manager