This was originally posted anonymously on "Ask Tim":
I completely understand the desire to complete the Alignment Project as quickly as possible, and that it would be much more convenient to have everything settled before the start of a new fiscal year. However, I have a few concerns over the idea of moving potentially large numbers of staff to new locations in the middle of summer reading, the time of year at which our libraries are their busiest.
I can’t help but wonder if it would make the transition smoother if we try to have the management phases finished earlier, but aim to complete transfers of frontline staff by mid-August instead. It would only be a difference of 6 weeks, and would make the change far less stressful for staff.
Unfortunately, timing is almost never perfect. The primary rationale for the selection of June 30th as the tentative completion date for the Alignment project is the fact that it needs to be done before the Classification and Compensation study. Likewise, the Class and Comp study needs to be completed prior to the adoption of the final budget in late August/early September. While I am sure this will do nothing to lower staff (or my) stress, I am pretty certain that 80%-90% of the work impacting staff will be done well in advance of the June 30th deadline. I'd encourage everyone to wait until the actual schedule is issued to worry too much ... it should be available in a couple of weeks, and will provide a better view of the work to be done and the associated due dates.
Hope that helps clarify.
--Tim