By BARBARA GREEN
[email protected]
Bowie City Councilors Monday night approved a six-month trial for a compressed work schedule for city employees starting March 1.
Pamela Woods, city finance and human resources director, made a presentation to the council on behalf of the employees. She explained in recent months she was looking into ways to improve morale and that lead to pay, benefits and work hours.
Woods said they settled on work hours as a potential avenue to explore and she began researching other cities, along with talking to department heads and employees. Six members of the city staff were in the audience and raised their hand in support of the proposal.
It pointed out the extended four-day work week will not work for all employees such as emergency personnel, the library, but it can work for a large number.
“We are trying to improve morale not just for the city employees, but for the city in general as well. You might hear occasionally to raise morale you need extra pay, better benefits and more accommodating work hours. I would like to focus on work hours which in general would be four days a week 10 hours a day, Monday-Thursday,” stated Woods.

Read the full story in the mid-week Bowie News.