SANTA FE, N.M. (KRQE) – A good work-life balance has become a big topic when it comes to taking a job, now one New Mexico Sheriff’s Office is trying a new schedule, with deputies working fewer hours.
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“They started looking and thinking outside the box to create something unique for the sheriff’s office,” said Santa Fe County Sheriff Adan Mendoza.
It’s a new take on a four day, ten hour work schedule and it’s launching at the Santa Fe County Sheriff’s Office. “They pitched it about ten months ago and we’ve been working really hard to try and make it a reality here at the sheriff’s office,” said Sheriff Mendoza.
Sheriff Mendoza said they’re calling the pilot, 4/8/40 Work Well Live Well. “They’d be compensated for four ten-hour days but in reality what they are going to be doing is working eight hours during that day,” said Sheriff Mendoza.
The remaining two hours each day would be paid under administrative leave as a dedicated time for activities that boost physical and mental health. “There’s a set base of activities that are allowed within that time and so each deputy will be responsible to be accountable for those hours and the activity they are partaking in,” said Sheriff Mendoza.
Sergeant Oliver McCartney helped pitch the idea with a list of approved activities for deputies like yoga, lifting, even meditation, and counseling. If a deputy’s preferred activity isn’t on the list, they are open to ideas. “There’s even people that one of their stress relievers is shoeing horses, for example, you know that’s there thing that they do to get their mind off work,” said McCartney.
“It’s about communication and as long as it is a approved activity that’s reasonable then we are giving the supervisors the authority to look at that activity and just make sure that it falls within the perimeter of what’s acceptable,” said Sheriff Mendoza.
Over the course of the pilot, they’ll track metrics like sick leave used, worker’s comp claims, use of force, and citizen complaints.
The Sheriff’s Office hopes the change will reduce stress make deputies more effective on the job and also give them a leg up when it comes to recruiting. “We’ll be the first ones in the state of New Mexico to do this as far as we know and so, you know, I think the focus is the work-life balance we hear that all the time from every occupation,” said Sheriff Mendoza.
The pilot is slated to last for six months. Depending on how it goes the Sheriff and County Manager could extend the trial or end it early. In July, the Santa Fe County Sheriff’s Office also raised it’s salaries, by five to seven dollars an hour depending on an officer’s rank.
