Four-day workweek
After reflecting much over the past several weeks about the possibility of an extended four-day summer workweek to commence this June, I have decided that we will not be implementing such an arrangement for Summer, 2009. Our work days and schedule will remain as they have been in previous summer terms.
I wanted to take this opportunity to outline briefly my reasons for not commencing a four-day workweek at this time.
Please understand that originally a number of us felt that a four-day workweek might be a way to produce some energy savings – though it has never really been clearly defined as far as the amount – for the Summer period of approximately eight weeks in June and July. However, in attempting to define and implement the arrangement, a number of us discovered that we might indeed need to be open (though not necessarily to the public) for a four-hour period on Friday mornings, thus giving employees the option of working in largely un-air conditioned buildings on a portion of Friday. In my view this would prove to be counterproductive from an energy-savings standpoint, because the College ultimately would still have an obligation to its employees of providing a comfortable work environment for four hours each Friday. In any case, we are going to be trying other things, e.g., closing off much of the Decker Building, except office complexes, in order to derive some energy savings.
Second, and in reality the more important reason, is the issue of employee morale at this time. BCC is currently in the midst of considerable change and uncertainty. The College is working through a process for hiring a new President, with all of the uncertainty and anxiety that often generates. Many employees are graciously putting in long hours in implementing the new Banner system, and that has added to employee stress levels. Employees are also currently trying to plan summer vacations and time away from the job, and the relatively short notice about the ambiguity of a substantial change in summer work days and hours also generates uncertainty and stress. In addition, the fact that a Faculty contract is not currently in place, coupled with all the preparations for an upcoming Middle States visitation during 2009-10, causes great concern for the institution. The College currently has so many items “on its plate” that another complication “thrown in” for Summer, 2009, would merely, in my view, compound the anxiety and angst already being experienced. My instincts, therefore, tell me that this is not the right time to implement such a change. Often one has to look beyond merely the “bottom line” dollars and cents involved with an issue and instead look to the effect on people.
I very much appreciate the input I have received from quite a number of you on campus, and I remain convinced that a four-day workweek, at least in future summers, is something the College should seriously consider and possibly implement from an energy and cost-savings standpoint. However, in this case I also have to be guided by my own instincts, and my own feeling is that this is not the right Summer – a Summer that I myself will likely be around only for about four weeks — to begin such an experiment.
Thank you for your patience and understanding.
DH
