PUBLIC ANNOUNCEMENT
5.25.23
(SAHUARITA, AZ) – Town of Sahuarita employees, with few exceptions, will adopt a 4|10 schedule (Monday-Thursday from 7 a.m. – 6 p.m.) effective Aug. 28, 2023, as part of a pilot program to expand service hours to the public and provide greater workplace flexibility for employees.
The Town Council approved the proposed pilot citing the benefits to the public, flexibility to Town employees, and the potential to attract others to local government work as reasons for a trial period.
Sahuarita will be the first municipality in the region to offer 7 a.m. – 6 p.m. general service hours to town residents and businesses, which will provide two additional hours of availability outside the typical working day for citizens to conduct business in Town Hall Monday-Thursday. Existing services such as Public Safety, and Parks & Recreation support will continue through evenings and weekends as it does currently. Building inspections will continue to be offered Monday-Friday.
“We found that there was a need for us to be more available to the public during the week, and we see very little traffic at Town Hall on Fridays,” said Shane Dille, Town Manager. “This change just makes sense – it makes sense for the people we serve and offers a valued benefit to the skilled employees that we want to retain.”
In Arizona, 43% of municipalities offer this benefit to their non-emergency personnel. The results of a recent employee survey demonstrated an expectation that Town leadership remain competitive in compensation and benefits plans and innovate ways to be more flexible with work environment and schedules.
“We see attrition for the same reasons employers across the country see them,” said Jessica Silva, Director of Human Resources. “Our employees need the flexibility to stay engaged and high performing. We are confident that a three-day weekend will give our team the morale boost and work/life balance all employees are seeking right now.”
Understanding the demands of the services the Town provides to the community; the individual departments will be able to determine how to cover public availability with employee schedules. Town leadership is considering the implications this will have on the professional and personal lives of employees – longer hours, childcare, and more – and is currently exploring options to offer support.
The Town will utilize the summer months to work with key stakeholders, business partners, employees, and the community to prepare for the change. Public comment is accepted via online form.
More details about the pilot program can be found on the FAQ page.