In Maricopa County, almost 600 local employers include a compressed work week program as a part of their trip reduction plan.

Following are CWW facts based on a 1989 study conducted by the Lusk Center Research, University of Southern California:

• For the past two decades, compressed work weeks (CWWs) have been promoted as energy saving and congestion mitigation strategies.
• CWWs have been found as a way to enhance employee recruitment, retention and job satisfaction.
• Work trips are shifted out of the peak periods for CWW participants because they work longer days.

Following are facts based on a 1994 Tucson Electric Power Company CWW study:

• CWW participants found that their overall travel has been reduced as a result of the program.
• Employee and company morale has increased due to the CWW schedule.
• Other significant test findings include:
• Reduced travel time to & from work
• Less time spent in rush hour traffic
• Overall number of miles driven reduced
• Number of miles driven to and from work is more than number of miles driven on the designated day off.
• The number of transportation options available for CWW participants did not change.
• CWW participants consider themselves to have less mental and physical fatigue, higher morale and productivity, and a better quality of life.

"It is apparent that the CWW program benefits the company and the community, as well as the employees. As with any youthful program, there are challenges to overcome."

Following are facts based on the 1990 Denver Federal Employee Compressed Work Week Experiment:

• CWWs have resulted in a 15 percent reduction in weekly work trip VMT among participating employees.
• Non-work travel for CWW participants appears to have decreased somewhat with trips either being rescheduled, combined more effectively or eliminated entirely.
• With a CWW program, reduction in the amount of non-work travel to and from work has also occurred.
• Average weekday household VMT for employees participating in the CWW program was reduced by 16 percent, while average CO and HC emissions were reduced by 16.4 percent.
• Work trip distance has a minimal impact on an employee’s choice of work schedule.
• CWWs have resulted in significant changes in the time-of-day and day-of-week distributions of employee arrivals and departures.
• In areas of severe traffic congestion, these changes in work schedules have resulted in significant travel time savings for those on the CWW program.
• There were no significant changes in work trip mode shares.

Starting-up a compressed work week program:

1. Appoint a planning group to build support for the proposed program.
2. Name a project administrator or "champion."
3. Address any anticipated problems that may cause it to fail.
4. Design program details: labor laws and contracts, participation, CWW schedules, holiday pay, workforce coverage, etc.
5. Develop supporting information and resource materials.
6. Announce program to employees.
7. Evaluate & fine tune

Creating a Flexible Workplace, Olmstead and Smith, 1989

"The most common reasons for introducing a CWW program are:

1. to improve employee morale and relations, and
2. to improve production scheduling and the use of facilities and capital equipment."

Creating a Flexible Workplace, Olmstead and Smith, 1989

The Regional Public Transportation Authority can assist you in setting up your company’s compressed work week program by offering: management briefings, one-on-one technical support, training, workshop and additional support materials.