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Four Day Work Week?

By Jessica Taloney Reporter

A 9 to 5 work day may be a thing of the past. Mobile officials are studying a national trend that could help employees cut their costly commute and help employer's bottom line. Four Day Work Week?

Published: Mon, June 16, 2008 - 5:17 pm

Jessica Taloney

A nine to five work day may be a thing of the past.
High fuel prices are forcing some companies and governments to reevaluate how they do business.
City officials in Prattville, just north of Montgomery, are switching to a four day work week. Beginning next week, Prattville city employees will work ten hours a day, Monday through Thursday. The pilot program will last until August, when officials will decide whether to make the move permanent.
The four day work week is a trend being seen across the country, and Mobile may be next in line.
"We really want to be good stewards of tax payer dollars," said city spokeswoman Barbara Drummond.
Drummond says Mobile Mayor Sam Jones is studying the four day work week idea. "Anything that we can do to help keep our costs down. This is certainly one of those options that we're considering and we're looking at," said Drummond.
Mobile County officials say they're considering a similar plan as well, but their study is still in the very early stages.
Meanwhile, the South Alabama Regional Planning Commission, which employees more than 60 people out of their downtown Mobile office, could be close to making a decision on a short week for their workers.
"To take advantage of the need that obviously some folks have to try to ease this gas crunch, we'd look at doing it sometime in July," said Chris Miller, Assistant Executive Director of the state agency. Miller says the issue will be discussed at the planning commission's staff meeting this Thursday, and a decision could come soon. If the pilot program is implemented, the planning commission's office will still be open Monday through Friday, but employee's schedules will be staggered.

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cmb1 Says:

Tue, Jun 17, 2008 at 8:50 am

Overtime in AL does not start until you have worked 40 hours…

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carl Says:

Tue, Jun 17, 2008 at 8:23 am

Rodger on that! regardless if they’re there or not.

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BamaBob Says:

Tue, Jun 17, 2008 at 7:54 am

None of them work on Friday anyway!

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carl Says:

Tue, Jun 17, 2008 at 7:46 am

Sounds good to me too BAMABOB! Just shut her down for an extra day a week. Would save a lot in energy costs and labor costs. Betcha the rank and file would never agree to that! A whole day’s pay gone from each check, The city would have to fend off an armed insurrection by the city workers and then the city’s leaders would need armed protection 24/7 there fore all our savings gone and more. Sort of like the man draining the swamp to get rid of the mosquitoes and finds himself buttocks deep in alligators, isn’t it ?

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BamaBob Says:

Tue, Jun 17, 2008 at 7:18 am

Sounds GOOD!

The best way to do this would be to shut down one extra day a week instead of just rotating off days. Because less utilities would be used on that day!

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carl Says:

Tue, Jun 17, 2008 at 6:26 am

NO! Some states require overtime pay for any time over eight hours in a day and over time in any week in excess of forty hours. This is quite common so it would be good to know this for certain before hand, and this doesn’t even take into consideration any labor contract that might control it. This could turn out a boon for a city or a boondoggle.

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Wayne225 Says:

Tue, Jun 17, 2008 at 5:29 am

The hours still come out to 40 hours a week. Overtime doesn’t start until you have completed those first 40 hours.

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carl Says:

Tue, Jun 17, 2008 at 5:07 am

Will the employees be paid over time for the additional two hours each day ? The gas crunch is affecting every one, let’s try not to make it a bigger cash crunch for the tax payers.

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