A longer work day and a shorter work week could help Howard County employees save money on ever-growing fuel expenses, officials said.
A new work schedule will allow some county employees to work four 10-hour days a week or 80 hours in nine days, freeing up one day a week where employees can stay home, said County Executive Ken Ulman.
“I?ve always been interested in flexible schedules, but the escalation of gas prices puts an additional urgency on this,” Ulman said.
Howard is following a new national trend.
USA Today reportedearlier this month that Utah and several other counties and cities nationwide are allowing their government employees to move to a four-day work week to save on gas money.
Anne Arundel has had a similar schedule in place since 2005, but it is “not overused” by employees, said Dennis Callahan, Anne Arundel?s chief administrative officer.
“We?re not criticizing Howard County. We still feel an obligation to have a human answer the phone rather than a machine,” said Callahan, noting that Anne Arundel employees received a 3 percent pay raise and are encouraged to carpool as a way to save on gas money.
Ulman told his department heads Wednesday to use the new schedule according to each department?s needs to make sure it does not disrupt the flow of government.
“Our job is to make sure we continue to offer great public service,” Ulman said.
The effect of rising gas prices has dominated media reports in recent months.
The issue has led U.S. Sens. Barbara Mikulski and Ben Cardin, D-Md., to hold a conference Friday in Baltimore showing how rising gas prices have affected small businesses and nonprofits, and promoting proposed federal legislation that the senators say will lower gas prices.
Ulman said Howard will be doing other things to help employees save gas money, such as a push for employees to carpool and expanding telecommuting opportunities.
