[Publib] RE: Publib Digest, Vol 22, Issue 20

[Mary Elizabeth Allen]

"Jennifer Ray" <jray at cass.lib.mi.us> on Thursday, January 18, 2007 at 3:49
PM -0500 wrote:
>Does anyone offer premium pay for working on Saturdays and Sundays? 

I wish our profession would let go of the notion that working weekends or
evenings is a hardship that deserves extra rewards.  We are a public
service profession, and we should be there when people need us.   The
notion that "banker's hours" are the norm is outdated--even for some
banks!  If public libraries are to remain relevant and vital to the public
we serve, I think we should embrace evenings and weekends as part of the
norm.

For the record, I am a full-time employee, and I work every Saturday and
one evening a week.  I do not receive nor expect any extra compensation
for working this schedule.

Rachel

Rachel Q. Davis
Children's Librarian
Thomas Memorial Library
6 Scott Dyer Road
Cape Elizabeth, ME  04107
207-799-1720

Not as public minded at Rachel, when I worked a weekend day, was glad of our
policy that gave me a compensation day in the week. Likewise, when I worked
evenings, I liked the fact we could chose to come in at 1 or work a split. I
didn't mind working weekends or evenings, but I'd have been very ticked for
it to be on top of a 40 hour week. 

Mary Elizabeth Allen
Mercer County Library System