County staff seek committee guidance on public‑access hours, half‑day Fridays and an extra holiday to aid retention

Marathon County administration presented options to the Resources, Finance and Property Committee for workplace changes intended to reduce early employee turnover and make county employment more competitive.

Administration summarized county workforce data showing more than half of separations came from employees with less than five years’ tenure and an average length of service around eight years. Staff said exit surveys and national research point to work–life balance and schedule flexibility as strong retention levers in addition to pay. Leonard told the committee public access has changed (on‑line services, public‑records portal, permit portals and a call center) and cited an informal Friday afternoon observation that few members of the public visit county departments on Friday afternoons.

Options presented for further development included: retaining a 40‑hour workweek with a half‑day Friday for public‑facing offices (departments would still be staffed to meet public needs); expanding one evening opening per month to facilitate appointments; or a modest shift in weekday opening hours combined with half‑day Fridays. Staff said departments that provide time‑sensitive or market‑driven services (airport, solid waste, library) would be excluded or operate on different schedules. The proposal also reviewed the county’s current holiday schedule (9 holidays for general employees, 10 for deputies/detectives under the contract) and compared that to peer counties whose average holiday count in a small sample was about 10.6.

Discussion focused on operational impact and equity. Several supervisors favored a fixed additional holiday instead of a flexible holiday (staff argued a fixed holiday helps departments fully pause work so employees can actually unplug). Staff will develop formal proposals that would preserve a 40‑hour work requirement while offering schedule flexibility or modified public access; the administrator requested direction to draft specific policy language for committee consideration at a future meeting.

Why it matters: workplace schedule adjustments can be implemented relatively quickly and may reduce turnover costs. Supervisors asked for implementation detail and department impact assessments before any vote.

Ending: staff will draft options and operational analyses (including department coverage plans and potential public‑access impacts) for the committee’s next meeting.