Possibility of four-day work week

A formality approved Tuesday by the St. Joseph County Board of Commissioners allows certain employees in about 12 different departments to work a four-day week.

The memorandum of understanding between the county board and AFSCME general unit gives department heads the option of allowing their employees to work four, 10-hour days instead of five, eight-hour days.

Human resources director Elishia Arver said the opportunity affects about 40 employees. The option can be exercised only with the authority of a department head.

Arver said the situation is in place for a trial period through the end of the calendar year.

Departments that have so far agreed to give its employees the 10-hour, four-day option include human resources, graphic information systems and equalization.

She said the option is not a cost-savings measure, but merely a perk if an employee’s department head is OK with the abbreviated number of workdays.