Nearly Half of LocalGov Offering a Flextime Program

The SLGE 2018 survey report finds more local governments are offering a flextime program to recruit and retain top talent.

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The Center for State and Local Government Excellence (SLGE) 2018 survey found that more than 45 percent of responding local government employers reported recruit offering a flextime program or flexible work hours to retain a skilled workforce.

SLGE launched in 2007 to help state and local governments become knowledgeable and competitive employers and attract and retain a talented workforce. Next week at the 2018 International City/County Management Association annual conference, SLGE will take part in the ICMA’s workforce track with several special sessions that can help local governments improve their talent pool.

Flextime is a Growing Trend

Among the top workforce priorities, 82 percent of respondents reported staff recruitment and retention as a top priority. In 2012, those concerns were cited by 39 percent.

Such concerns are part of a larger workforce trend for flexible hours.

Last December, the New York City Council voted to require businesses to offer employees a flextime program, according to Crain’s New York Business. The city offers flextime schedules. For example, the employee handbook for Community Board 3 indicates “employees may choose a different starting time from day to day, within their authorized flex-band limits.”

Work/Life Balance & Financial Literacy Trends

The survey also found that 65 percent of respondents support employee development and training reimbursement, 37 percent are hosting wellness programs or on-site fitness facilities and 34 percent provide some form of paid family leave.

The SLGE survey also found that the share of governments making retirement plan changes has decreased from 41 to 16 percent, although, 47 percent sponsoring financial literacy programs to help employees plan for retirement.

Past years’ survey data may indicate that planned changes had already been completed, according to the report (which can be reviewed and downloaded below). Increased cost-shares were reported in 2012 (19 percent among new employees; 17 percent among current employees) and 2015 (16 percent among new employees; 15 percent among current employees).

Increases in employee contributions for health (32 percent) or retirement (4 percent) are the most common changes reported in the 2018 survey.

SLGE has been conducting surveys on workforce issues facing state and local employers since 2009. This year’s survey was sent to 6,700 members of International Public Management Association for Human Resources (IPMA-HR) and 138 members of the National Association of State Personnel Executives (NASPE) in March and received 337 responses from human resource professionals in the public sector.

Review and download the SLGE 2018 survey report:

Slg e 2018 Workforce by Ed Praetorian on Scribd

Watch an SLGE and NASPE webcast presenting shared state-specific workforce survey data with the National Association of State Chief Information Officers.

Andrea Fox is Editor of Gov1.com and Senior Editor at Lexipol. She is based in Massachusetts.

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