(a) Except as provided in this Code section, the office of each clerk of the superior court shall be open to conduct business Monday through Friday from at least 9:00 A.M. until 5:00 P.M. and shall not close for any period of time during such hours.

(b) Any office of a clerk of a superior court which is open for operation on Saturday may close on one day Monday through Friday for a period of time equal to that period of time during which the office is open on Saturday. Nothing in this Code section shall be construed as requiring any office of a clerk of a superior court to be open on any public and legal holiday or day of rest which is recognized and designated as such by Georgia law or by the governing authority of the county.

(c) This Code section shall only apply to the office of a clerk of a superior court if there is employed in that office at least one employee other than the clerk.

(d) In any county of this state having a population of fewer than 10,000 persons according to the United States decennial census of 1980 or any future such census, the clerk of superior court may close such office for a designated lunch period if all other county offices in the county courthouse simultaneously close for a lunch period. The period of closing of the clerk's office shall coincide with the period for closing the other county offices.

(e) Nothing in this Code section shall be construed to require the office of the clerk of the superior court to be open if all other county offices are closed because of inclement weather.