Closed every other Friday: Stockton City Hall
Lorne Truscott writes:
“Perhaps you could give us an update on the status of City of Stockton employees. After the housing market imploded, and the City went bankrupt, city offices have been closed every other Friday. Originally, this move was sold as being a money saving option for the City. We’re not positive City employees took a pay cut, but maybe they actually did. In any event, now that the City has emerged from bankruptcy, why are the closures still taking place?”
The city stopped “furlough Fridays” – unpaid days off every other Friday – years ago. When, yes, they did take a pay cut.
What they have now are “closed Fridays,” part of a “9-8” workweek. Employees work 9-hour days for nine straight days then take the second Friday off.
“The reason that we adopted that schedule was for air quality,” said Stockton city spokesperson Connie Cochran. Which state law requires all large employers to do.
Unlike a factory, City Hall can’t reduce smokestack emissions. But it can reduce the number of vehicle trips made by its employees. Closing on alternate Fridays reduces vehicle trips and greenhouse gas emissions.
