EASTHAMPTON — Although the city’s proposed fiscal 2026 budget avoids direct cuts to municipal employee salaries, six workers are facing reduced hours and a hiring freeze is being put in place.

According to Mayor Nicole LaChapelle, some municipal employees “had extended hours,” meaning the city approved working hours for some positions beyond their typical 34-hour workweek. The hourly adjustment heading into the next fiscal year, she said, is an act of “resetting” back to the “base workweek” for these positions. However, the citywide hiring freeze is an act of abundant caution, following the lead of the Healey administration amid fiscal uncertainty.

LaChapelle explained that hours had been extended for some municipal employees to “catch up on billing,” work on American Rescue Plan Act reporting, and more. Now though, she said, “we want to get back to fairness.”

She confirmed that the union representing involved municipal employees, the American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees, has expressed intent to contest these changes to hours. According to Human Resources Director Emily Russo, the city will be meeting with the union next week.

The union did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

The six employees whose hours will be impacted come from across departments, according to Russo. Two Council on Aging employees will have hours reduced from 35 to 34, an information technology assistant administrator will have hours reduced from 35 to 34, the city’s social worker will have hours reduced from 35 to 34, the office manager at the Police Department will have hours reduced from 40 to 34, and the office manager at the Fire Department will have hours reduced from 37.5 to 34.

The city’s freeze on hiring, on the other hand, is an effort to hedge against uncertainty heading into the next fiscal year, according to LaChapelle. But the hope is to unfreeze hiring once the state budget is finalized.

“We don’t have those final numbers as far as local aid and what the final state budget is,” LaChapelle said of the freeze. She went on to say that the city “took note that the governor also put a hiring freeze in effect.”

Gov. Maura Healey’s office announced an executive hiring freeze earlier this month in reaction to uncertainty surrounding funding amid federal funding cuts. It will take effect next week.

“We said, ‘If they’re going to slow down, we’re going to slow down and see what that budget looks like,’” Healey said.

Alexa Lewis can be reached at alewis@gazettenet.com.