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Adam Kalsey

This is the blog of Adam Kalsey. Unusual depth and complexity. Rich, full body with a hint of nutty earthiness.

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Only in the public sector

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18 Jan 2004

Only a government agency would have hours like this. Not only can a real business not get away with something that complicated, I don’t think it would occur to anyone to do that in the first place.

Comments

Buzz Andersen
January 18, 2004 2:09 PM

Couldn't agree more--that really dropped my jaw when I moved to California!

Wes Meltzer
January 18, 2004 8:15 PM

I suspect some of that is because they have to deal with the number of employees, which is something that they (unlike the private sector) can't adjust whenever they have to add hours to deal with more customers. I know, for instance, at my university hours like that occur because the department gets a certain number of work-study employees but needs hours which don't fit into or exceed the total hours allotted to their work-study employees (based on need), so they have to do all kinds of crazy things to get more flexibility, like close from 3 to 4 on Tuesdays and Thursdays. In the greater public sector, with a hiring freeze in many states, if the state DMV (etc.) has to add more hours, or Saturday hours, it's cheaper for them to disrupt the regular hours occasionally than it is for them to pay overtime to get the same employees to work more hours. Sure, it's an inconvenience, but so is paying taxes. Choose your poison.

filchyboy
January 18, 2004 8:42 PM

It is my understanding that these hours came into play in the not too distant past in an attempt to save funds. At some point in the last decade or so they were open 9-5 M-F as well as Saturday 9-2 or something like that. Budget cuts caused them to begin restricting hours until they ended up with the hodge podge you make note of.

Phillip Harrington
January 19, 2004 12:42 PM

I'm guessing the weekly team meeting happens at 8 am on Wednesdays.

This discussion has been closed.

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