One-Year Results for the Kelly Air Force Base Compressed Work Week Survey

The 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. The trial period for this Compressed Work Schedule (CWS) began September-October of 1991. The one-year results were collected between Nov-Dec 1992, and there were 1,784 surveys collected, of which 1,695 were acceptable for statistical analysis. Overall, 59% of the workers indicated a preference for the CWS and 8% had no preference. However, 33% of those surveyed preferred their previous schedule of 8 hours per day during a 5-day work week. The 1-year survey examined 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, certain directorates, or older employees, or those over 30 years in Federal service, or higher wage grade employees, or worked night shift, were demographic groupings that expressed less preference for the CWS than other groupings. Improvements under CWS in the quality of life were family life, spouse's happiness, and more time with spouse and children, plus improving morale at work, satisfaction at home and at work, resulting in social stability. Compressed work week, Lifestyle, Attitude survey, Air Force base workers.