Thirty-Day Results for the Kelly Air Force Base Compressed Work Week Survey

The AFSC Human Systems Division, Armstrong Laboratory, Sustained Operations Branch, (AL/CFTO), was requested by the San Antonio Air Logistics Center, Human Resources Center (SA-ALC/HRC) at Kelly AFB, TX, in May 1991 to evaluate worker attitudes during a trial transition from an 8-hour per day, 5- day work week to a 10-hour per day, 4-day work week. This Compressed Work Schedule (CWS) began September-October 1991. Worker responses to the first 30 days of the trial period were surveyed by AL/CFTO from late October through early December 1991. There were 2,265 surveys collected and 2,170 were acceptable for statistical analysis. Overall, 74.9% of the workers indicated a preference for the new work week schedule and 7.3% had no preference. Of those surveyed, 17.9% preferred their previous schedule of 8 hours per day during a 5- day work week. The intent of this 30-day interim report, and the 6-month and 1- year reports to follow, is to explore the social impact of the CWS and the demographic characteristics of those who preferred and those who did not prefer the CWS. Although the majority consistently favored the CWS, certain characteristics emerged for those who did not. For example, older employees, evening or night shift workers, single parents with children, and those who use public transportation to get to work were demographic groupings that expressed less preference for the CWS than other groupings. Surveys after 6 months and 1 year will determine if subjective responses to the new work schedule were altered. These results may help management decide upon the implementation of the CWS throughout the Kelly AFB community.