Customer Newsletter, September 2008

Grand Island Crew Trying Out Four Day Workweeks

Southern Power District recently assigned one four-man crew to a shorter work week. This crew from the Grand Island Service Center has been working Monday through Thursday throughout the summer, while stretching their workdays from eight hours each to ten hours. The crew working under this schedule has been assigned projects that focus on construction, rather than maintenance and service calls.

The four day work week has been talked about recently in the news, because many businesses and industries across the country are realizing the benefits of a four-day workweek for certain types of employees. One of the benefits is that the crew travels to their job site four days per week, rather than five which saves on the cost of fuel for the district. Additionally, these four men are only traveling from home to work four days a week, so they can take advantage of the fuel savings as well.

Another potential advantage we are keeping an eye on with this crew is efficiency. By working a 10 hour day, the men can accomplish more work before they leave the job site for the day. However, one issue that can occur with a longer workday is fatigue. If this becomes a concern for the men, it can obviously have an impact on their efficiency. The men participating on this crew are aware that their success hinges upon maintaining an efficient, steady workflow.

With the four-day schedule, we are also keeping a sharp eye on our responsiveness to customers. This is not a program that will work for all employees, because we do need to maintain a steady workforce throughout the week to provide service to our customers. By assigning construction projects to this crew--which make up a large part of our workload--our remaining Grand Island linemen can remain focused upon responding to service calls.

The four-day work week is a concept that is not new to Southern. Our six-man construction crew, which has been in operation for about three years, has always worked four-day, 10-hour work weeks. The shorter week allows them to have more time in the field and less time overall invested in travel. This schedule has been ideal for the construction crew, because they are not typically assigned to service calls or maintenance projects.

Here are the stories you'll find inside this edition:

• SPD Announces New Heat Pump Incentive Program
Southern's Board of Directors approved changes to the Heat Pump Incentive Program at their August Board meeting, with the new program guidelines taking effect on September 1, 2008. More>>>
• Labor Safely!
Late summer and early fall often finds many of us working outdoors before the weather turns cooler, but these outdoor chores require caution, especially around electricity. More>>>
• Energy Wise Tip: Weatherize Your Home and Use Less Energy
One of the most cost-effective ways to improve energy efficiency is by properly sealing and insulating your home. More>>>
• Bright Ideas Energy Camp Highlights
Seventeen children attended Southern POwer District's 2008 session of Bright Ideas Energy Camp at Southern's offices in Grand Island. More>>>
• Recipe Box: Chocolate Orange Freeze
Recipe>>>