People that work for the city of Marshfield could be working fewer hours; if a proposal to save the city money is accepted. One of the city's alderman says that limiting city employees to 37.5 hours a week, would save Marshfield more than $600,000.
The city administrator has asked for input from more than a dozen departments, to find out how this would affect them. The city's mayor says that the proposal is not without its drawbacks.
"Realistic problems that would arise from a 37 1/2-hour workweek?" Mayor Mike Meyers paused to consider the question, "some of the major ones would be a reduction of the services that would be available to citizens."
"If there were layoffs involved to accomplish a 37 1/2 hour workweek, or the equivalent of a 37 1/2 hour workweek, " said Meyers, "then unemployment costs would figure into it."
The Common Council has decided to hold off on the issue for now, until they find out more about how the idea would affect public services.
