For a 30-day trial period, a 17-person group in the county’s park and recreation department will be on such a schedule.
CHARLOTTE -- Five-day work weeks could soon be shunned in favor of four-day work weeks for a number of Mecklenburg County employees, as Commissioner Dan Ramirez will lay out a proposal that would look in to the feasibility of such a schedule.
Ramirez, which will present on Tuesday, says such a plan would save the county and its employees gas and money.
"Most of [the employees] seem to like the idea, but some of them say they have trouble with child care or they have trouble with a second job,” said Mike Cozza of Mecklenburg Park and Recreation in regards to a four-day work week.
For a 30-day trial period, a 17-person group in the county’s park and recreation department will be on such a schedule.
News 14 Carolina’s Aaron Mesmer has more on the possibility of a four-day work week.
"I think it's a good situation for the employees of the county because they will realize some savings in the area of, for instance, gas and mileage,” said Ramirez.
Employees would work 10-hour days. Some would be scheduled Monday-Thursday, others Tuesday-Friday. Last month, the county’s division of the N.C. Department of Transportation started doing that.
"We know we have employees that travel quite a distance, so we're trying to save them some gas and put a little extra money their pocket,” said Jen Thompson of N.C. DOT. “And it'll also save some wear and tear on our vehicles too."
Not all county workers would be affected, but certain divisions of the health department as well as other parks and recreation employees would.
"In a county the size of ours with as many different departments as we have, it's obvious there's certain departments where it won't work,” said Mecklenburg County Commissioner Jennifer Roberts (D). “It's not a new concept, but it's something that is worth expanding if it's possible."
Roberts says another possibility is encouraging county employees to work a five-day week while working one of those days from home.