Things have been rapidly changing in the world around us. We have seen adjustments to how people work in and out of offices, and we’ve realized what is most important to us as we emerge from a time of uncertainty. Still, one thing we do know is that sometimes we have to adjust and make changes that will benefit both employees and cooperative members.  

A year ago, when I took on the CEO role, I asked employees what was most important to them and how their work at FreeState factored into their lives. I’m happy to tell you that we have passionate and dedicated employees to serve each of you. They not only understand the cooperative difference, but they understand that people and principles drive us, not profits.  

The other reoccurring theme I heard was flexibility and how it relates to navigating busy schedules and maintaining a healthy work-life balance. Our employees have responsibilities outside of work. They are community members, who give back, volunteer, and do amazing things for our area.  

That’s why I decided to think about flexibility and how we could make it work for our cooperative because keeping the lights on is an around-the-clock job.  

In May, our operations department shifted to a ten-hour workday, four days a week, Monday through Thursday. The cooperative would typically go to summer hours in May, starting earlier each day, but we decided to try a different approach, and our line crews were excited to try it out. We had line crews on call during off hours, and this schedule allowed our outside staff to spend more time recharging at the end of the week. We also saw some savings to our bottom line. We decreased fuel consumption by 10%. It also helped us with safety and maintenance. When trucks were in on Friday, our mechanics could take care of any issues that came up without taking a truck out of commission and easily take care of routine maintenance.  

The schedule change worked so well that our crews wanted to continue the four-day week.  

With the change to our outside staff, we started looking at adjusting our office staff to align more with our line crews. Our priority is member service, and we looked at different scenarios that would benefit our team and each member. We decided to extend our hours in the office Monday through Thursday.  

Starting Monday, January 9, 2023, FreeState offices will open at 7 a.m. and close at 5:30 p.m. Monday through Thursday. This gives our member service representatives a 10-hour day, four days a week. It also allows for extended hours to better serve our members. On Friday, the office will be closed to the public, but some staff will continue working just like usual.  

Of course, our third-party answering service will still be available outside regular business hours to answer outage and emergency calls; call 800-794-1989 and press 0 to speak with a real person, any time. You can also take advantage of all our payment options, including cash pay at local retailers, outside our new operating hours. Visit www.freestate.coop/payoptions to learn about all the easy ways to pay.  

While our office hours may be new in the new year, the cooperative staff is still committed to serving you however that may be. We’re here to help, and that won’t change.