Managers' Work Schedules Examined

BROOKSVILLE - Many businesses offer employees the option of working "4-10"

schedules - 10 hours, four days a week.

Hernando County, with its flex time policy, is no different.

But as part of a general review of its Human Resources Department, there could be some tweaking of that policy. Especially as it pertains to department managers.

Hernando Today on May 5 asked the Human Resources Department for a roster of how many department managers worked the flex schedule.

The request was kicked up to the county administrator's office for research and Deputy County Administrator Larry Jenning's answer came late Thursday.

Jennings said to the best of his knowledge, there are only two department managers who are authorized to work the "4-10" schedule: Budget Director George Zoettlein and Technology Services Director Garry Allen.

When asked who authorized Zoettlein's schedule, Jennings said the budget director told him it was ex-County Administrator Paul McIntosh, who left office in 2002.

Jennings said he didn't know who authorized Allen's schedule.

Jennings said he did not have a list of how many line workers took advantage of the 4-10 schedule. He said department managers, who approve their staffers work hours, would have to be contacted individually.

Jennings stressed that Allen and Zoettlein, as all department managers, would come into work if something critical occurs. Both men frequently do come in Fridays, he said.

Jennings also said that the county will be going through its personnel policies and "covering all the things we need to cover."

County Administrator David Hamilton indicated that a committee recently launched to look into management practices of the county's Human Resources Department will be charged with examining the four-day-a-week flex time policy.

"That is something we definitely will be looking at in our review of HR policies," Hamilton said.

Hamilton said during his month or so on the job, it has become apparent that there needs to be more uniformity of management practices. The flex policy the way it is currently applied, appears to be one of them, he said.

"There appear to be random policies that don't apply universally to the (whole) system," he said.

Allen was unavailable for comment Friday.

But Zoettlein, who was in the office Friday afternoon, said everyone on his staff is cross-trained and able to do each other's job. So when he is not there, someone else can step in and handle his tasks, he said.

"I've told every county administrator since Paul McIntosh (about my schedule) and they said they had no problem as long as I get the work done that needs to get done and that we are available to the citizens," Zoettlein said.

Zoettlein said they are all equipped with cell phones if an emergency arises.

Also, Zoettlein said he opens his office from 7 a.m. to 6 p.m., two hours longer than other departments, just in case citizens call in or for his staff to get extra work done.

Most times, Zoettlein said he is in the office Fridays, as he was this past Friday afternoon.

"I average 90-100 hours every two weeks, he said.

County Commissioner David Russell said he welcomes Hamilton's review of the county's policy on flex time.

First and foremost to be determined is whether employees who work four days a week can save on cost and efficiency, Russell said.

But he doesn't believe department managers should work truncated shifts, even if they sometimes come in on Friday.

"I think it's important that managers are around when they need to be because that's when their charges are working - five days a week," Russell said.