4-day work weeks September 25, 2008 Robert L. Whiddon Editor, Employee Benefit Adviser\

Today’s speaker Rex Facer Bringham Young University Romney Institute of Public Management

Rex Facer Facer is an assistant professor of public finance and management and a Warren Jones Fellow in BYU’s Romney Institute of Public Management. His expertise includes city management, public finance, public management strategy and public policy analysis. Research highlights include public budgeting and finance, municipal annexation, public service motivation, public and private organizational differences, and organizational change. Facer received his PhD in public administration from the University of Georgia in 2002.

Implementing a 4-Day Work Week: Maximizing the Benefits, Overcoming the Obstacles Rex L. Facer II, PhD Lori Wadsworth, PhD Romney Institute of Public Management

Agenda Research Implementation Issues: 5 Ps Background Phronesis: Practical Wisdom

Background History of work schedules –1840’s –Great Depression –FLSA – law governing workweek Introduction of Alternative Work Schedules

Alternative Work Schedules Flex-time Telecommuting/Teleworking Job Sharing Compressed Workweek

Forms of Compressed Workweek 3/36 4/32 9/80 4/10

Our Research Alternative Work Schedules and Work-Family Balance, Review of Public Personnel Administration, June 2008, pp (available free of charge at rop.sagepub.com) Employee Surveys Citizen Survey HR Directors Pre- and Post-change Surveys

Implementation Issues People Purpose Process Performance Perceptions

People Employees Customers/Clients Managers & supervisors

Purpose Organizational economics Impact of rising fuel prices –Employee impact –Organizational impact Environmental impact Employee recruitment and retention

Process How do you start? –Employee participation –Experience of others –Employee surveys –Pilot program

Process Implementation considerations: –Mandatory or optional –Scheduling choices Office staggered Employee staggered Office closed down –Technology implications

Process Policy issues –Vacation & sick leave –Holiday pay Legal issues –ADA accommodations –FMLA –FLSA –State laws

Performance Ensure accountability for performance Monitor performance Periodic assessment What to measure?

Perceptions Employees – extremely positive Clients/Customers – mixed, depends on service access Unions – mixed, but trend to greater support of AWS Managers – very positive Organization – very positive

Perceptions: Employee Benefits Work-life balance Stress Transportation Costs Autonomy Sick leave

Perceptions: Employee Drawbacks Fatigue Stress Isolation “Face time” Child care/Elder care

Perceptions: Organizational Benefits Employee morale Work-life balance Customer service Productivity Talent management Absenteeism Costs

Perceptions: Organizational Drawbacks Interfacing “Face time” Fairness Payroll Productivity Customer service

Phronesis: Practical Wisdom Phronesis comes from the work of Aristotle. It is the ability to make changes to enhance the quality of life. –Small wins –Organizational champion –Sufficient resources for success

Questions???

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