San Juan County ‘encouraged’ by initial results of 32-hour workweek

Leaders of an island county in Washington that moved most employees to a 32-hour workweek in October say the experiment is showing signs of success.

San Juan County, which encompasses the San Juan Islands, garnered national attention last year when it announced it would be one of the first local governments in the U.S. to ditch a 40-hour workweek, joining a growing trend among some private employers. The county of 18,000 residents switched employees like office workers, nurses, park stewards, laborers and equipment operators to a shorter workweek without lowering their overall pay.

Months later, the county has begun recruiting and retaining more employees, most workers say they’re happier and healthier, and public services have generally been maintained, according to a county report released Tuesday.

Employees surveyed by the county in March and April say they’re spending their extra time away from work on things like errands, medical appointments, their families, hobbies and volunteering. Many say they’re more rested and more satisfied with their jobs as a result.

The workweek change negotiated with a labor union has presented some logistical challenges, including for county departments that staff front desks and phone lines. And it’s stressed out some managers, who, along with Sheriff’s Department employees, weren’t included in the change. But it’s also been a cost saver for the county, the six-month report says.

“We’re encouraged by the initial results. However, we know that more data and more time with the schedule will be vital to understanding its true impacts on the organization,” interim County Manager Mark Tompkins said in a statement, noting that one-year and two-year reports are planned.

“We know our residents are not the only ones watching — other municipalities and organizations are taking notes from the lessons learned here,” Tompkins and other county leaders said in Tuesday’s report.

Positive results

San Juan County’s bold move emerged from negotiations with AFSCME 1849, which represents about 70% of the county’s employees and which sought big raises last year to offset inflation. Switching those employees to a 32-hour workweek allowed the county to boost their per-hour wages without breaking its budget or raising taxes on residents. The County Council approved the deal in a union contract that runs through 2025.

When they announced the change in August, leaders also said they hoped it would help them recruit and retain workers, citing a chronic 10% to 15% job vacancy rate and problems with employee burnout. Hiring can be particularly hard in San Juan County; although the islands offer natural beauty and laid-back charm, they’re only accessible by ferry, boat or plane.

Residents often have to head to the mainland to visit doctors, see relatives and do shopping. County leaders said a 32-hour workweek would give employees more time to travel to the mainland without taking off work, while also giving them more time to care for their families. At the time, county and AFSCME 1849 leaders suggested productivity might actually increase.

“The 32-hour workweek win has been significant for our members,” AFSCME’s executive committee said in Tuesday’s report, arguing that the move could set a new standard for government workers across the state.

Since the 32-hour workweek started, the time it takes the county to fill open positions has dropped 62% and voluntary separations (employees quitting or retiring) have dropped 46%, Tuesday’s report says. The county received 91 job applications from January to March 2024, after receiving only two applications from January to March 2023, according to the report.

In the county’s recent survey of all employees (including those not covered by the workweek change), 88% said the policy was a reason for them to keep working for the county and most said they’d recommended someone apply for a county job because of the schedule. Many new hires said the schedule was a factor they considered when they applied.

Also in the survey, 83% of respondents said the schedule had improved their work-life balance and 67% reported an increase in job satisfaction.

What are they doing with their extra personal time? Three-quarters said they were spending some of that time with family, while nearly that many said they were running off-island errands and pursuing hobbies. Fewer mentioned other jobs; side jobs are more plentiful during the summer tourist season.

Although the start of the 32-hour workweek coincided with cold and flu season, county employees used 31% less sick time this winter than last winter, according to Tuesday’s report. In the survey, 78% of respondents reported improved mental health, 71% reported feeling more rested and 70% said they’d used some of their extra personal time for medical appointments.

Frances Robertson, a marine biologist who leads the county’s effort to protect its southern resident orcas and who was on AFSCME 1849’s negotiating team, now has Fridays off. She hangs out with her children after waking up, then dives into her own research — on minke whales in the Salish Sea. She knows several people who’ve delayed retirement because of the schedule shift.

“It’s nice to have a slower morning with my kids,” and then, Robertson said, “You’re just more focused during the days you’re at work.”

Questions remain

Most of the county’s employees are working 20% fewer hours, but total hours worked across the organization dropped only 8% on average from October to March, partly because more job vacancies were filled.

Some departments are using staggered scheduling to provide services every day, while others have switched to four-day weeks. They’re using collaborative software, holding fewer meetings and cross-training employees to get the same amount of work done in less time, Tuesday’s report says.

“The county has experienced little variation in its ability to deliver key programs and services,” the report says. “No staff positions or programs have been cut and public services are being maintained.”

For example, the county’s information technology department is providing more help and the health and community services department is delivering more meals to seniors than before the 32-hour workweek, the report says.

The transition hasn’t been completely smooth, with 12% of employees reporting additional stress related to the 32-hour workweek. Some managers say they’re working longer hours to make sure deadlines are met.

“Staff identified challenges with interdepartmental communication, completing tasks within their shorter workweeks and managing the seasonality of certain, time-intensive projects,” the report says.

Public reactions have been mixed, with 34% of employees reporting positive feedback and 34% negative feedback. Some offices are closed on Fridays.

“I have Friday as a day off and have been denied service at several county offices that say closed on Friday due to new schedule,” one resident commented on a county Facebook post about Tuesday’s report.

The assessor’s office has fallen behind a bit because the employees who visit properties to assign taxable values are spending fewer hours in the field, said interim Assistant County Manager Brandon Andrews.

Pressure on the parks department will increase this summer, with grass to mow and a county fair to organize, Andrews said in an interview.

“I don’t think this check-in should be viewed as conclusive yet,” he said.

But the public works department has reported no disruptions, and there’s “pretty good consensus” among county leaders, Andrews said, that the new workweek’s clear benefits mean any wrinkles are worth trying to iron out.