Four Day Work Week?

A nine to five work day may be a thing of the past.
High fuel prices are forcing some companies and governments to reevaluate how they do business.
City officials in Prattville, just north of Montgomery, are switching to a four day work week. Beginning next week, Prattville city employees will work ten hours a day, Monday through Thursday. The pilot program will last until August, when officials will decide whether to make the move permanent.
The four day work week is a trend being seen across the country, and Mobile may be next in line.
"We really want to be good stewards of tax payer dollars," said city spokeswoman Barbara Drummond.
Drummond says Mobile Mayor Sam Jones is studying the four day work week idea. "Anything that we can do to help keep our costs down. This is certainly one of those options that we're considering and we're looking at," said Drummond.
Mobile County officials say they're considering a similar plan as well, but their study is still in the very early stages.
Meanwhile, the South Alabama Regional Planning Commission, which employees more than 60 people out of their downtown Mobile office, could be close to making a decision on a short week for their workers.
"To take advantage of the need that obviously some folks have to try to ease this gas crunch, we'd look at doing it sometime in July," said Chris Miller, Assistant Executive Director of the state agency. Miller says the issue will be discussed at the planning commission's staff meeting this Thursday, and a decision could come soon. If the pilot program is implemented, the planning commission's office will still be open Monday through Friday, but employee's schedules will be staggered.