The county board continues to consider an “Alternative Work Site” (AWS) agreement with Public Health & Human Services Director Sue Futterer, who was given permission in October to spend part of her workweek at her home office in Virginia, MN, where her husband has taken a school superintendent position. Thearrangement is in a three-month trial period extending mid-November to mid-February.
As the state considers consolidating county human service departments and as more and more corporations allow employees to work from home offices, the arrangement seemed to the commissioners like an appropriate way to test a new way of conducting county work.
A survey regarding the perceived effect of the alternative work site arrangement was distributed to the 16 county employees working under Futterer as well as to numerous other department heads. Most of the responses were positive: “She responds quickly to emails (our primary communication source both before and during the pilot) and I see her face to face as often as before. I have noticed no differences since the pilot began.”
“The director is very responsive to emails when I request her support.”
“Sue is always easy to reach (even when she’s on vacation).”
“AWS is very similar to onsite presence. There are so many ways to keep in contact with the director that this is not an issue for me.”
“Staff meetings occur as before AWS.”
“I think Sue is even more diligent about getting information out and being available when needed.”
“This project may improve communication skills and expand technology usage among staff members, in general resulting in higher efficiency.”
Some responses were not as positive. One person said about staff relationships since the arrangement started, “[It] seems there is less respect. Less ‘group’ effort. More ‘do what you can with what there is to work with. Take care of yourself.’”
Regarding any hardships brought on by the arrangement, one person wrote, “Other county employees question how effective the leadership of a department head can be if they are working out of or at an AWS. I have also heard negative comments from citizens out in the public. …When this is a Cook County employee overseeing only a Cook County department, I think there are a lot of questions regarding the use of taxpayer money, etc. Is this person being paid appropriately, or why are we paying this person if they are working at an AWS outside the county? How effective can that be?”
When asked to list any benefits from the AWS pilot project, one respondent said, “I cannot, unless it proves the expensive position of ‘director’ is actually not necessary to run the department.”
At the Tuesday, January 19 Human Services Board meeting, Futterer said, “I think it’s worked well overall.” They had a few technological challenges, particularly when trying to use a webcam at meetings. Futterer said she had received no complaints.
“You’ve been able to get your job done?” Commissioner Bob Fenwick asked.
“Yes, I certainly have,” Futterer responded. “Thank you for the opportunity to try it,” she said.
At the regular county board meeting later that day, Commissioner Jan Hall expressed her disapproval of the arrangement, saying it was “an abuse of authority.” She suggested that the county contract out the job rather than maintaining it as a full-time salaried position. “It’s unhealthy to our department and to the health of our county,” Hall said.
“There are a lot of people in the community who share Jan’s concern,” said Commissioner Bruce Martinson.
Commissioner Jim Johnson acknowledged the issue’s political ramifications but pointed out that the survey didn’t reveal many negatives. Futterer is involved in many boards outside the county, he said, and advocates on behalf of the county. Having an advocate “is really critical for the county at this time.”
Thispilot arrangement is paving the way for what is going to happen in the future, Commissioner Fritz Sobanja said. “We are learning how to be flexible enough to adapt to the future,” he said. With costs going up, he said, “the delivery systems are going to have to change in order to get results.”
Some counties have already started having employees work from home to save on office space, Martinson said. Hall agreed but maintained that those counties have also altered salary and benefits across departments.
Commissioner Fenwick said he expects the way counties operate will change a lot over the next 10 years. Decisions at the state level could result in courthouse closures and affect the number of sheriffs, county attorneys, and human services departments — even the number of counties themselves. He believes it is “highly likely” that Cook County will eventually not have a social services director onsite or answerable to the county board.
The human services “redesign” proposed by Governor Tim Pawlenty’s office could be dropped with a new governor, Hall contended. She recommended against basing changes in Futterer’s job on a redesign that might not happen.
If the county does not allow the alternative work site arrangement to continue, Martinson said, Futterer might resign and the county could then incur more cost trying to replace her.
Over the next month, Commissioner Fenwick will work with County Attorney Tim Scannell on an alternative work site contract for the board to consider after the trial period is over.
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