The Joplin Globe, Joplin, MO

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July 22, 2008

4-day workweek to be posed for Miami city government

By Debbie Robinson

news@joplinglobe.com

MIAMI, Okla. — Increased gasoline prices are fueling a trend, according to suggestions cited by some studies, among state and city governments to move to four-day workweeks.

The city of Miami has been operating on four-day workweeks for most city employees since last month, but city offices remain open five days a week.

Interim City Manager Tim Wilson said Tuesday that he is planning to present to the City Council next month a proposal to close city offices one additional day a week.

Wilson said the city realizes few savings from the current schedule, but it would see significant savings if City Hall were open four days a week instead of five.

The good news, Wilson said, is that the city’s overall tax revenue increased $200,000 during the past year.

Still, he said, it’s not enough to offset the increase in the city’s gasoline costs. Gasoline nationally averages more than $4 a gallon, a 30 percent increase over the price a year ago, according to the American Automobile Association.

Wilson said the four-day workweek is helping the employees with their individual gasoline costs.

Half of the city’s 120 employees are off on Fridays, with the other half off on Mondays, he said. Employees work from 7 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. with a 30-minute lunch break.

Police officers, sanitation workers and firefighters will continue to work their existing schedules, Wilson said.

Wilson’s administrative assistant, Judy Francisco, said the new schedule works well for her.

“I think I make really good use of my hours,” she said.

Francisco, who is off on Mondays, said the work schedule saves her the cost of having to buy an additional lunch each week, along with some gas savings.

Fire Chief Kevin Trease said he, his chief deputy and administrative assistant also are participating in the four-day workweek, although the chief and deputy chief are on call 24 hours a day each day. They vary days off so the office is always staffed, he said.

The Oklahoma House conducted a hearing earlier this month on a proposal to consider a four-day workweek for all government offices.





Studies



A recent Brigham Young University study suggested that more than 60 percent of employees who work four days had higher productivity than those working five-day weeks. The study also cited a nationwide trend toward the shortened workweek. A study by the Romney Institute of Public Management suggested that 60 percent of residents reported more access to government offices because of extended morning and afternoon hours.

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