Reduced service has finally affected me. The talk of furlough days, fewer hours and workers in government offices have been discussed but I had not had a problem with this. Monday, August 17, the library system will be closed. Of course, this is not a life or death matter and I can make other arrangements to do things but what about people who use the city as a cooling center. (Hopefully it won’t be too hot) or those who need to use library computers?
The city website says that city hall, city offices, health clinics and the library will be closed. Essential services will not be affected. Trash will not be collected on that day as well. This move combined with furlough days and other things will save the city millions of dollars. If this works well enough, could it be possible to have a four-day work week, pay employees less and have the government function? This is the first of three reduced service days planned.
The other two reduced service days are the day after Thanksgiving and Christmas Eve. Neither day is a bastion of productivity in any office.
Other cities have reduced the number of days that employees work without pay. Essentially workers are earning less but working less as well. Will the recession bring about a change in the five-day work week in some sectors? It is quite possible, considering that there are some stores that have been quietly reducing their hours or closing early regularly if there are no customers or patrons.
Expanded hours means that there is a need. When there are cutbacks in sales hours there is an indication that there is no need or the need isn’t as great as previously anticipated.
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