State Government Looking To Help Its Employees Save Gas

TALLAHASSEE - With gas hovering around $4 a gallon, one less day of driving to the office can make a big difference.

That's the thinking of government agencies, from the state capital to Miami-Dade County, where officials are trying to help workers deal with the high cost of fuel by having them drive to the office less often.

The state is encouraging some employees to work a four-day week with longer days or to work from home.

The Florida Attorney General's Office started offering the four-day workweek to some employees last month. More than 20 percent of those eligible have already signed up for the pilot program and many said fuel savings figured prominently in their decision, said Sandi Copes, a spokeswoman for Attorney General Bill McCollum.

Some workers are also cramming five days of work into four at the state Department of Health.

"It's saving gas and I think a lot of employees are loving that because some of us have to drive so far," said Jan Cox, one of 40 employees of the state Health Department's Division of Medical Quality Assurance taking advantage of the opportunity.

It not only helps workers save gas, it could save the state a little money as well because it reduces energy use at the office.

Dean Izzo, who oversees state building use, said that if all eligible state employees stayed home one day a week, the state could cut its energy costs by 20 percent.

Several Florida counties are also looking at similar ideas.

Miami Dade Commissioner Jose "Pepe" Diaz said he and two other commissioners are floating a plan to allow county employees to work four 10-hour days or work from home one day a week.

"That saves one day of commuting," Diaz said. "Everybody's hurting and every day it gets worse. All I hear is people talking about gas and food prices going up."

Not all employees would be eligible for the flexible schedules.

The commission will discuss Diaz' proposal this summer, and he hopes it will be implemented by the start of the county's new fiscal year in October. Another idea discussed by commissioners: opening the main county building in downtown Miami four days a week instead of five. That's a more complex idea, said Diaz, because not every department at county hall could function on a four-day work week.

Leon County, which includes Tallahassee, is considering going to a four-day workweek for all departments. County Administrator Parwez Alam said it would save the county a lot of money by closing buildings one extra day a week.

County offices would be open for longer hours on those four days, he noted.

"In terms of customer service, it improves it because a lot of people work 8 to 5," said Alam. "If the county offices are open 7 to 6, they would have a chance to come either before ... work or after they work for county services."