The Miami Herald’s website is reporting that Florida International University is adopting four-day work weeks for most of its employees this summer, in order to save money on electricity by closing many of its buildings one day per week. Employees will still be required to work the requisite 40 hours each week, but will do so over four days, rather than five, thus allowing buildings to idle for three consecutive days rather than two. The move, Modesto Maidique, FIU’s president suggests, will save the university $250,000.
Because they are my employer, I can state unequivocally that not all employees are happy with this arrangement; however, many of us are happy that we won’t be spending some of our hard-earned money on gas for our commute for that fifth day of the week.
It would be interesting to see what might happen to the price of gasoline if this work calendar were adopted by employers across the board. To be sure, the resulting price drop wouldn’t be 20% (the theoretical amount of gas saved, if everyone were to merely stay home on that day), but it would be interesting, would it not, to see what the oil companies would do were the typical commuter’s consumption reduced instantaneously by 20%?
Thatsounds pretty genious to me.
Ha…this is coming from the same university (my alma mater) that scoffed at plans to have a Metrorail station adjacent to the campus.
They didn’t scoff at having a metrorail station adjeacent to the campus. They just didn’t like the initial proposal for the station’s location (which was on campus in a section of the campus where facilities maitenance and vehicle service buildings are and not near the population generators on campus).
I, personally, feel that this is not going to actually accomplish anything since most buildings are used heavily over the weekends already. By closing several offices, you can cut down on power consumption somewhat, but if people go in to work over the weekend or if students go in to work on projects, it is still going to have to be lit and air conditioned.
Steven’s comment regarding the station placement is correct. FIU’s objection was registered over the City of Sweetwater’s desire to not have the Metrorail East/West line alignment traveling through downtown Sweetwater on SW 107th Ave.
However, I do think the President’s goals of energy savings will be achieved. Let’s just say that people are being persuaded to enjoy their three-day weekends, and are actively being encouraged to not come to work on those three days. How is this happening? It’s easy when much of the expenditure for energy is on air conditioning, and you have a centrally-controlled air conditioning system.
Crank it up to 80, and people will get the message.