Budget cuts mean slightly shorter hours for Alameda County Superior Court clerks.
Beginning Nov. 22, the clerks’ offices at the county’s eight courthouses will close at 2 p.m. on Fridays instead of 3 p.m., according to court officials.
The shorter hours are part of a cost-cutting plan necessitated by a $4.3 million cut in state funding for the current fiscal year, according to a news release court officials sent Friday.
The new hours coincide with a mandatory leave program that requires most employees to take one Friday off each month without pay.
People will still be able to use the court’s online filing system and the mailboxes outside the clerk’s office to file documents.
In addition to the furloughs and reduced office hours for clerks, the court also imposed a hiring freeze on more than 100 positions, a “soft freeze” on all other positions that prevents jobs from being filled for 90 days after they become vacant, and a voluntary , unpaid leave program during Christmas week.
“We recognize that early closures are inconvenient for the public and we regret having to make such a change,” said Chairman Thomas Nixon. “Unfortunately, it is currently essential to limit our office hours on Fridays to ensure that our limited workforce can process all submitted documents in a timely and efficient manner.”
