Small business owners say flexibility with state rules needed

According to a press release, a recent sampling of members of the Alaska National Federation of Independent Business says 76 percent of business owners would support elimination of the state Department of Labor Certificate for a voluntary flexibility work plan. When asked if they supported changing the voluntary flexible work plan to cover 80 hours in a two-week period rather than the current 40 hours, 74 percent of Alaska small business owners surveyed approved.

"What Alaska's small-business owners are asking for is the flexibility to design work hours around the needs of the employee and the employer," said Peggy Ann McConnochi, Leadership Council chairwoman for the 2,000-member Alaska chapter of NFIB. "We are seeking the opportunity to negotiate in good faith with employees on how the 40 hours or 80 hours over two weeks is spread."

Almost 15 percent opposed the elimination of the flexibility work plan; 17 percent objected to the 80-hour change. Nearly 67 percent supported changing the flexibility work plan to allow for up to 12 hours of work in a day.

The survey also found nearly 69 percent of small-business owners opposed to including a sales tax on services should a sales tax on goods be imposed by the Legislature. When asked to rank the best way to balance the state budget, 26 percent supported reducing state spending, 21.3 percent supported raising revenue though natural resources, 12.7 percent supported using some of the permanent fund earnings and 4 percent supported using all of the permanent fund earnings. The remainder made no reply or proposed a variety of other means.