OPEA

17 comments (Add your own)

1. Long time employee wrote:

It sounds great - but there's a lot to think about. Child care - are the day cares open long enough to accomodate? I know some folks who don't have enough work to keep them busy for 10 hours. Not everyone would WANT to work 10 hour days - is it going to be mandatory? Is it going to hurt services to our customers?

I'd rather push for 7 hour workdays - that would be a real raise - work 35 hours per week instead of 40.

Wed, July 9, 2008 @ 12:56 PM

2. Teresa wrote:

I'm a single mother working for the State. I like the idea of the 4 day work week, but the majority of daycares are only open until 6pm. I had him in 24 hour daycares when I was in college. They generally are run by 18 year olds...and not well I might add. I don't want him to go back to that type of daycare again.

Wed, July 9, 2008 @ 2:25 PM

3. carol wrote:

I have worked for the state of Oklahoma for 30 years and the reward of working for the state has been the flexability of work schedule. My agency has already implemented a system that would help employees offering flexable schedules without reducing services to oklahoma citizens. I think this mandatory 4 day work week would hurt state employees not help. State employees in this
Fy 09 has taken a pay cut not a pay raise. We should look at things that would help employees and not the state. The state has shown time and time again what it thinks of the employees.

Wed, July 9, 2008 @ 3:23 PM

4. NL wrote:

I have 3 children, 2 of which require day care. In my small town all but 2 daycares close at 6:00pm and I am not interested in trying to get my children into one of those two daycares in town, which is suffering from a daycare shortage anyway, that offers extended hour care. I would have to quit this state job and the way the job market is would have to be on Unemployment Benefits for a while, unfortunately.

Wed, July 9, 2008 @ 4:37 PM

5. robin wrote:

I don't support a 4 day work week. I have a little boy in day care and his big sister would be left alone to get on the bus if I had to leave at 6:45a to get to work on time. (I live only a 4 miles to work).
I think that we should work 4 days a week if the hours were Monday-Thursday and the state paid for all of us to be off on Friday. They should have us work 9 hour work days, Monday- Thursday's and pay the 10th hour for lunch..
*A savings to the state- the offices would only be open for 9 hours- Monday thru Thursday. 7:30a to 5:30p) Doors are closed, lights and computers are off, and on Friday's no lights or computers or gas for the vehicles. Problem solved...

Wed, July 9, 2008 @ 4:50 PM

6. Oleta Burney wrote:

I have been a state employee for 17 years. I have severe health issues and just manage to work 8 hours per day. If we went to mandatory 10 hour days I don't think I could make it. I believe there are other diabled people who would have the same problem. As for saving me money on gas I ride with my husband now if we went to 10 hours days I would have to drive everyday. It would cost me more money. No four day work week. Also think about all the kids trying to get themselves to school in the morning without their parents.

Wed, July 9, 2008 @ 9:52 PM

7. D wrote:

I think the 4 day work week should be optional for everyone. I for one am for it because I am part of the support team and make less than 22,000 a year. We don't get comp, travel time or the incentive pay, so this would be a benefit for some of us. If you want to do the 4 day work week fine if not at least give us the chance to decide wether we do or not. It is hard enough right now to make ends meat and some of our paychecks don't make it through the month til the next payday.

Thu, July 10, 2008 @ 10:07 AM

8. Diana H wrote:

I do not support a 4 day work week for all of the reasons in the previous comments.
Another thing to consider is since the offices will be open 5 days weekly there is no guarantee an employee would get Friday or Monday off. Some might have to take Tuesday, Wednesday or Thursday which is not very appealing either.
I pick up grandchildren who simply do not need to stay in daycare any longer than they presently do.
I do not wish to drive home in the dark in the winter.
Telecommuting is a much better option for those who can.

Thu, July 10, 2008 @ 10:12 AM

9. brady schmiedeberg wrote:

Sounds good. I would like to see a flex schedule where the building would be open 4 days a week from 6:30-7:30 and give employees the option of and early, middle or late schedule.

Thu, July 10, 2008 @ 10:21 AM

10. Beverly wrote:

I think that the state would better serve the community and the workers if they would implement a flexible work plan.
I do not think that a mandatory 10 hour day is for everyone. But I do believe that it should be an option for some that it would be benefit. Not everyone has children in daycare and that is something that we should consider. But if you can't work the extended hours then if the offices would still be open and the ones that could not get someone to cover the extra hours for their children then they could continue with the hours they are presently working.
I think the option should be made to available everyone and let it be on a individual basis as to whether they want to adjust their schedule.
As long as the community has access to the services we should not have to suffer due to the increases because we aren't eligible for any help other than something like this.

Thu, July 10, 2008 @ 10:31 AM

11. Michael wrote:

State employees are consistently 10% behind the market in compensation, and the legislature hasn't shown much attempt to make that up to us. Thus, why not cut our hours 10% A 36 hour work week (same pay of course) would require everyone to work 9-hour days, and ALL state offices could be closed on Fridays to save the State money, with obvious allowances for DOC, DPS, etc. Work schedules could be staggered so State offices would remain open to the public from 7:30 to 6:00, or something similar.

Thu, July 10, 2008 @ 1:00 PM

12. dilbert wrote:

teresa, work 7-5:30 with a half hour lunch, then pick your kid up before the daycare closes.

Thu, July 10, 2008 @ 1:05 PM

13. BSF wrote:

I agree with longtime employee regarding the 7 hour workday and only work 35 hours a week - that would be a real raise and a real morale booster. State employees have gone too long without a real pay raise.

We know it will never happen.

I would vote for the 9/80 rule work 80 hours in a 2 week period and be off every other Friday as opposed to 4 10-hour days. We should get the option of a 30 mintue lunch period also.

Thu, July 10, 2008 @ 3:04 PM

14. Tom McDonald wrote:

Folks,
No one ever said it would be manditory. The only way it would be manditory is if you work for an agency that would be able to be closed one day a week. Not many of them can do that right now. We are trying to get the agencies to offer this as an option or offer 9/9's with every other friday/monday off. We know it won't work for everyone. The agencies realize this as well.

Thu, July 10, 2008 @ 8:49 PM

15. B wrote:

Thanks Tom! When I first heard about this, I was concerned becuase that had not been made clear at first. Right now, my office doesn't have the manpower, and with the hiring freeze, it won't happen. But it's nice to know that if we did have coverage, I could still have an option on selecting a time that works best for me.

Fri, July 11, 2008 @ 8:05 AM

16. T. Pursell wrote:

As I have already mentioned, I personally would do the four day work week. I attended the meeting at the Capitol, and noted that OJA already has a pilot project. In their pilot, a choice is given to the eligible staff to choose:

1) four day work week (20%chose this one)
2) nine hour days and off every other Friday 20% took this one)
3) Flex schedules on a five day week. 60%took this one.

So options are available to fit personal needs.

Fri, July 11, 2008 @ 9:07 AM

17. Response to NL wrote:

Don't quit your job because of daycare hours. I quit because I could not keep child in daycare because of a medical situation and unemployment was denied because this is a personal problem.

Mon, July 21, 2008 @ 9:04 AM

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