Four-Day Weeks Cause Frustrations, Cutbacks for Those with Other Jobs
Part-time legislators try to juggle businesses and budgeting
Tue, 24 Mar 2009 10:41:00
A four-day work week may not inspire pity for the legislators among the public, but for those who hold to the Legislature’s official part-time definition and have second jobs away from the Capitol, life becomes much more complicated when most of the week is spent in Albany.
Lawmakers balancing two jobs credit Blackberries, cell phones and late nights for their ability to manage the tough schedule. Others, like State Sen. Darrel Aubertine (D-Oswego/Lewis/St. Lawrence), have farms to run.
Assembly Member Michael Fitzpatrick (R-Suffolk) pulls double duty as an investment associate with UBS Financial Services in Port Jefferson.
“You have to adapt,” said Fitzpatrick of the added time in Albany, noting that he talks to clients on his cell phone during legislative days when necessary. “I just make sure I have the Wall Street Journal and check in on CNBC.”
State Sen. Michael Ranzenhofer (R-Erie/Genesee) is a partner at Friedman & Ranzenhofer, P.C. The four-day work week in Albany makes for a hectic schedule, he said.
“I’m just working all the time,” he said. “Whether it be on Senate business or dealing with constituent work, or my business. I mean, it’s just non-stop.”
Kae Warnock, a policy specialist at the National Conference of State Legislatures, noted that some legislatures are full-time: states such as Washington, Virginia and Arizona hold five-day work weeks regularly. However, for the most part Warnock said she did not think these legislators were holding additional jobs.
But the New York experience of cramming in additional days is typical, she said.
“At the end of a legislative session or during a crisis, most legislatures add more time on,” Warnock said. “So it’s not uncommon for a legislature to meet even on the weekends if they need to.”
Some New York legislators have cut back on or given up their second jobs entirely.
Assembly Member William Barclay (R-Onondaga/Oswego) is a partner of the law firm of Hiscock and Barclay, but he says he no longer practices much law while the Legislature is in session.
“I used to try to get into my law office one day a week, but with the four-day work week I can’t,” he said. “I guess the four-day week puts a little more strain on it. But I wasn’t doing much before.”
Some legislators are even less involved with a second job than their bios imply. Russ Haven, Legislative Counsel for NYPIRG, notes that it can be difficult to determine what lawmakers do in their second lines of work.
“The ethics disclosures are pathetic and generally unhelpful,” said Haven.
“It’s not clear to me that this additional day is taking a huge toll on their outside work,” Haven added. “And if it is, I would argue that their first obligation is to the public and not their outside income. That’s what they signed up for.”
Despite the four-day work week, whether the goal—an on-time budget—of having them will materialize remains an open question. Among the lawmakers with two jobs, many doubt whether the fourth day is a worthwhile use of their time and taxpayers’ dollars.
“We could be doing a lot more in the three-day weeks that we have,” said Fitzpatrick. “I feel like a gerbil on a wheel in here sometimes.”
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For New Moms, Navigating Four-Day Week Requires Extra Care
Assembly Member Addie Russell (D-St. Lawrence/Jefferson) was in session on a Wednesday during February when her first child, Aaron, turned one. She flew home for the birthday party and flew back to Albany the next morning.
“They only turn one once,” Russell said. “Hopefully things will turn around and we’ll go back to a more normalized schedule.”
Russell is one of two new mothers serving in the Assembly who is trying to balance a baby and the current four-day work week in Albany. Complicating things further, she and Assembly Member Grace Meng (D-Queens) are both freshmen who are still learning the ins and outs of the job.
“He’s with me this week. He’s actually here in the office with me right now. He’s hanging out having fun,” Russell said happily.
“Of course, I brought reinforcements,” she added, referring to her sister, who was with her in Albany to help care for the baby.
Meng, like Russell, has family help for her one-year-old, Tyler.
“My husband’s aunt lives with us, so she takes care of him pretty much full-time,” she said.
Though she does not worry about her son while at work, Meng said she does miss him. If the Assembly finishes early on a Wednesday she will sometimes take the Amtrak home that evening to see her family and return to Albany Thursday morning.
Her son does not usually make it up to Albany. But last week his dad had a few days off and brought their son to observe session.
“The speaker asked him to give a high five,” she said. “Thank God, he did.”
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ABOVE: With her in Albany four days each week, freshman Assembly Member Addie Russell and her husband James walk a delicate balance in caring for their one-year-old son, Aaron.
Lawmakers balancing two jobs credit Blackberries, cell phones and late nights for their ability to manage the tough schedule. Others, like State Sen. Darrel Aubertine (D-Oswego/Lewis/St. Lawrence), have farms to run.
Assembly Member Michael Fitzpatrick (R-Suffolk) pulls double duty as an investment associate with UBS Financial Services in Port Jefferson.
“You have to adapt,” said Fitzpatrick of the added time in Albany, noting that he talks to clients on his cell phone during legislative days when necessary. “I just make sure I have the Wall Street Journal and check in on CNBC.”
State Sen. Michael Ranzenhofer (R-Erie/Genesee) is a partner at Friedman & Ranzenhofer, P.C. The four-day work week in Albany makes for a hectic schedule, he said.
“I’m just working all the time,” he said. “Whether it be on Senate business or dealing with constituent work, or my business. I mean, it’s just non-stop.”
Kae Warnock, a policy specialist at the National Conference of State Legislatures, noted that some legislatures are full-time: states such as Washington, Virginia and Arizona hold five-day work weeks regularly. However, for the most part Warnock said she did not think these legislators were holding additional jobs.
But the New York experience of cramming in additional days is typical, she said.
“At the end of a legislative session or during a crisis, most legislatures add more time on,” Warnock said. “So it’s not uncommon for a legislature to meet even on the weekends if they need to.”
Some New York legislators have cut back on or given up their second jobs entirely.
Assembly Member William Barclay (R-Onondaga/Oswego) is a partner of the law firm of Hiscock and Barclay, but he says he no longer practices much law while the Legislature is in session.
“I used to try to get into my law office one day a week, but with the four-day work week I can’t,” he said. “I guess the four-day week puts a little more strain on it. But I wasn’t doing much before.”
Some legislators are even less involved with a second job than their bios imply. Russ Haven, Legislative Counsel for NYPIRG, notes that it can be difficult to determine what lawmakers do in their second lines of work.
“The ethics disclosures are pathetic and generally unhelpful,” said Haven.
“It’s not clear to me that this additional day is taking a huge toll on their outside work,” Haven added. “And if it is, I would argue that their first obligation is to the public and not their outside income. That’s what they signed up for.”
Despite the four-day work week, whether the goal—an on-time budget—of having them will materialize remains an open question. Among the lawmakers with two jobs, many doubt whether the fourth day is a worthwhile use of their time and taxpayers’ dollars.
“We could be doing a lot more in the three-day weeks that we have,” said Fitzpatrick. “I feel like a gerbil on a wheel in here sometimes.”
**********
For New Moms, Navigating Four-Day Week Requires Extra Care
Assembly Member Addie Russell (D-St. Lawrence/Jefferson) was in session on a Wednesday during February when her first child, Aaron, turned one. She flew home for the birthday party and flew back to Albany the next morning.
“They only turn one once,” Russell said. “Hopefully things will turn around and we’ll go back to a more normalized schedule.”
Russell is one of two new mothers serving in the Assembly who is trying to balance a baby and the current four-day work week in Albany. Complicating things further, she and Assembly Member Grace Meng (D-Queens) are both freshmen who are still learning the ins and outs of the job.
“He’s with me this week. He’s actually here in the office with me right now. He’s hanging out having fun,” Russell said happily.
“Of course, I brought reinforcements,” she added, referring to her sister, who was with her in Albany to help care for the baby.
Meng, like Russell, has family help for her one-year-old, Tyler.
“My husband’s aunt lives with us, so she takes care of him pretty much full-time,” she said.
Though she does not worry about her son while at work, Meng said she does miss him. If the Assembly finishes early on a Wednesday she will sometimes take the Amtrak home that evening to see her family and return to Albany Thursday morning.
Her son does not usually make it up to Albany. But last week his dad had a few days off and brought their son to observe session.
“The speaker asked him to give a high five,” she said. “Thank God, he did.”
--
ABOVE: With her in Albany four days each week, freshman Assembly Member Addie Russell and her husband James walk a delicate balance in caring for their one-year-old son, Aaron.
