4-day workweek to cut costs

I got this email today..thought i should share it on my blog.
how i wish it will be implemented here in malaysia too..
definitely possible..coz as of now also..we are spending 10-12 hrs per day at work..
so whats wrong with making it official and helping employees save some money.

4-day workweek to cut costs



WASHINGTON: Skyrocketing energy costs have fuelled fresh interest in the four-day workweek across the United States as a means to help workers as well as employers cope with the surge.

In Birmingham, Alabama, city officials decided to implement a four-day week starting July 1 for 2,400 municipal employees and later, for 1,000 police and firefighters.

The move, allowing employees to work four 10-hour days, may save up to US$1 million (RM3.3 million) annually in fuel costs alone for the employees, according to April Odom, director of communications for the mayor's office in the city of 242,000 people.

"Our employees are excited and ready to start today," Odom said.

"Our biggest motivation was to give our employees a cost savings due to petrol prices here. But it will also give parents an extra day with their children and save on day care costs."

In Maynard, Minnesota, the MacCray school district will start a four-day
week for the school year, saving around one per cent of its budget,
mainly from transportation costs.

"We were going out for transportation quotes and the difference between
the four-day and five-day school week was US$55,000," superintendent
Greg Schmidt said.

The shift will mean 149 school days instead of 172, but each day will
include an extra 65 minutes for instruction.

At the elementary school level, he said "there are some teachers worried
about the long days for (younger) kids."

On the other hand, he said, "the majority of high school students like
the idea. A lot of these kids work, so it gives them an extra day".

Petrol costs have surged to around US$4 a gallon in much of the US, up
some 30 per cent from a year ago.

The compressed four-day week is among many options being used by
employees and employers in the US, including telecommuting and carpooling, to keep transportation costs down.

A survey last year by the Society of Human Resource Management found 38
per cent of companies offering a compressed workweek for some employees
as part of flexible work benefits.

The US government for years has allowed some employees to work a
compressed schedule. Many local governments are also studying these
options.

Meanwhile, consulting firm Robert Half International, in a survey
released last month, said 44 per cent of professionals interviewed said
higher petrol prices have affected their commutes, with many changing
their work plans.

The changes include carpooling, using more fuel-efficient cars or
telecommuting. Some 26 per cent said they were working fewer days of the
week to trim commuting costs.

A survey by consultancy Challenger Gray & Christmas found the most
popular programme, utilised by 23 per cent of companies, is a condensed
workweek, which typically consists of four 10-hour days. - AFP