Tue Feb 09 2010
Kentucky State University employees are jumping at the chance to participate in the new compressed work week, according to President Mary Evans Sias.
"(The employees) are very interested," Sias said. "We were inundated with requests yesterday."
The pilot program allows eligible non-faculty employees to work the same amount of 40 hours in four days instead of the normal five.
Although there are other benefits for workers on a shorter week, Sias said the program's key aim is to cope with rising fuel costs.
"At the end of the day it really is about the cost of gas," Sias said. "When I filled my car up yesterday it was $4.15 a gallon and it doesn't take very long to spend $45 or $50 dollars."
Other possible benefits include lower childcare costs for employees and less overtime, absences, tardiness and work related expenses.
KSU's short work week runs on a trial basis from July 1 to Aug. 16. Sias said the trial is to determine if the four-day week is feasible.
"We're just piloting it to see if we can do it," she said.
The program will be reviewed to determine if the employees meet operational requirements, maintain customer service and if there is an increase in KSU's overall costs.
Officials will then decide whether to implement the program permanently.
Non-faculty employees at KSU work either 37 hours a week or 40 hours. Eligible employees have the choice to work either the first four days of the week or the last four, according to the policy. With departmental approval, employees can change their requested day off.
Excluding a lunch break, employees who work 37 hours will have one 9-hour day and three 9-hour days. 40-hour per week employees will work four 10-hour days.
Robert Hammon, a Hill Student Life Center desk assistant said he would be willing to try anything to lower gas prices, including working longer hours.
"Anything to save on gas," Hammon said. "If you got 8 (hours) you might as well pull two more."
Candice Thomas, who works at the Academic Center of Excellence, said although she's concerned about gas prices, working 10-hour days is not for her.
"It would cut gas prices, but that would be rough working all of those hours in an insufficient amount of time," Thomas said.
Although the program may not be for everyone, Sias said she expects a large number of university employees to participate.
"We think we're going to have a fine group of people who are interested in this," Sias said.
The policy will not affect the university's core business hours, which will remain 8 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.
Comments
By Posting to this site, you agree to our Terms of Service Be polite.
Inappropriate posts may be removed.
State-Journal.com doesn't necessarily condone the comments here, nor does it review every post.
Login above or Register to comment.
0 Total Comments Home | Back
Copyright Frankfort Publishing Co., LLC 1995-2010. All Rights Reserved.
Content may not be republished without the expressed written consent of the publisher.
Content may not be republished without the expressed written consent of the publisher.
Dix Communications