Employers across the country are offering workers the option to telecommute or work a four-day week to help cut down on fuel costs. Compressed work weeks are particularly attractive to employees who work in places without reliable mass transit — especially since a 10-hour day can mean coming in early and leaving late enough to avoid rush hour traffic. As an added bonus, offices find that fewer employees on site means lessened energy costs. And allowing workers to cut down on commuting can also increase morale. “As the price of gas rises, the level of grumbling rises,” says a spokesperson for Kent State University, where 78 of 94 custodial staff have taken the option of a shortened work week. In a survey of U.S. workers released Thursday, 44 percent of respondents reported having changed the way they commute, up from 34 percent a year ago.
