8.9 1997 Holiday ScheduleCITY OF SALINA
REQUEST FOR COMMISSION ACTION DATE TIME
1/6/97 4:00 P.M.
AGENDA SECTION: ORIGINATING DEPARTMENT: APPROVED FOR
NO, AGENDA:
8 City Manager
ITEM
NO. 9
!BY: Dennis M. Kissin~ler BY: ~
Item:
Authorize the City Manager to change the city holiday schedule for 1997 for some employees
and operations.
Background:
The city's Personnel Manual designates certain days as city holidays. For the most part, these
days match designated federal holidays. Included as a holiday is Christmas day. In 1997,
Christmas day falls on a Thursday. As the schedule now exists, on the day after Christmas
(Friday), the city would be operating as a regular work day, followed by the weekend off.
Experience has shown that numerous employees desire to have some time off during Christmas
week, either for travel or family time. With Christmas on Thursday, we would expect Friday to be
a day when many non-essential functions are down to a "skeleton crew," due to vacation and
personal leave days taken in order to achieve a four day weekend.
In addition, our experience has been that very little public contact or direct citizen service is
required on that day, as the general public is also on a holiday schedule, or at least not
interested in business with the city. Many Salina employers were either shutdown or on minimal
work crews on Thursday and Friday of this past Christmas week; with only Friday involved next
year, we expect that trend to be even more pronounced. Weather, work crew scheduling and the
already disrupted work week all impact our work. In general, the 1997 Friday after Christmas
would not be expected to be very productive for city operations.
Due to the cost involved, I am reluctant to recommend that an additional city holiday be
scheduled for 1997. We have developed an alternative which can accomplish the dual goals of
greater employee time off at the Christmas holiday season as well as improve city productivity
and service, at no added cost in the city's budget.
Presidents' Day (February 17, 1997) is also classified as a regular city holiday. An option
available would be to "swap" or otherwise change the 1997 schedule to substitute the Friday
after Christmas for the upcoming Presidents' Day. All city offices and operations would be open
on February 17 and closed on next December 26.
Throughout the community, there are fewer other businesses or operations observing
Presidents' Day than Christmas week days. School is in session on Presidents' Day, further
CITY OF SALINA
REQUEST FOR COMMISSION ACTION ~ TIME
4:00 P,M.
AGENDA SECTION: ORIGINATING DEPARTMENT: APPROVED FOR
NO, City Manager AGENDA:
ITEM
NO,
Dennis M. Kissinger
BY: BY:
Page 2
limiting the use of that day for many of our employees. Experience has shown that citizens have
more expectation of service and open offices on that day than during Christmas week. February
17 could be a far more productive day for us.
If the Commission approves this authority for the City Manager, I would make a final decision by
January 17 after getting additional feedback and doing more specific planning. It is likely that we
would look to keeping our "shift" and essential services operations on the regular holiday
schedule, with. general offices and daytime specific services changing to the 1997 special
schedule. This holiday schedule change would apply to 1997 only.
We have discussed this concept thoroughly with our Employee Council; they were supportive.
Generally, employee feedback has been positive, though with 500 people, there is a variety of
opinions.
Requested Action:
Authorize the City Manager to change the 1997 holiday schedule to provide for some city
functions to observe December 26 instead of February 17 as a city holiday.