Pocono News Section

4 Day Work Week at Misericordia U.

4 Day Work Week at Misericordia U. - Monday, June 30, 2008 at 5:21PM EST

Reported by: Mike Trim
Monday, Jun 30, 2008 @ 05:21pm EST
DALLAS, LUZERNE COUNTY- With gas prices always seeming to be going up and never down. One local university is trying to help it's employees save some money on gas.

Misericordia University staff will be coming to work one less day while still working a full week. Before Rita Dibble sits at her computer at Misericordia University, she drives 70 miles. "It's a long drive, it is," says Dibble.

She is the University's Assistant Director of Development. She lives in Honesdale, Wayne County, and would benefit greatly from a proposed 4 day work week. "Whether you drive 7 miles or 70 miles you will still save. And it's an extra day for me to be able to spend in my garden. Which is what I love to do," says Dibble.

Misericordia administration is asking all 250 full and part time staff to work a new flex schedule. It starts on July 7th. Staff would work the same amount of hours as a 5 day work week.

The university says the shift change will help workers deal with rising gas prices. Misericordia University Human Resources Director Pam Parsnik says, "We are feeling the crunch. And that's what we're hearing from our employees and in any way that we can help save then we're going to do that."

The four day work is just for staff, not teachers. Administration says it could equal nearly 160 gallons of gas saved per week.

The shortened work week will run on a trial basis. Staff will go back to a 5 day work week on August 1st. Misericordia says it got the idea from community colleges out of our area. The school says it might consider using a four day work week when school is in session, but has to see how this summer trial works first.