July 1999


Like Fridays off? ORNL pilots 9/80 schedule
A new work schedule that offers employees a day off every two weeks is currently being piloted at ORNL. The 9/80 work schedule is essentially a two-week schedule of eight 9-hour work days and an 8-hour Friday, which affords a Friday off every two weeks.

According to HR’s Bob Martin, “This is an additional shift that adds flexibility for employees and gives management an opportunity to look at employee needs.”

Martin adds that the program pilot will give both employees and management an opportunity to evaluate employee acceptance of the program, to look at the manual close-out of PALS records to determine changes needed in business rules and also to evaluate possible business impacts of the program—how the alternate Fridays off will affect work flow.

The pilot includes about 80 employees—about 40 each from the weekly and monthly payrolls. All are volunteers. After the pilot, participants and their supervisors will be given an opportunity to tell how the program worked, or did not, for them. Pilot volunteers Pauline Hughes and Lisa Starnes said the prospect of having “every other Friday off” made 9/80 attractive; Starnes also cited the “additional flexibility” the schedule will allow. If reviews are good, the program may be offered to the general population as early as November 1. If the difficulties that arise are more extensive than anticipated, Jan. 1, 2000, may be the target date.—Deborah Barnes


      



[ ORNL Reporter Home | ORNL Home | Comments ]