PROBATION OFFICER EFFECTIVENESS DURING A FOUR-DAY WORK WEEK SCHEDULE

• NCJ Number: 40326
• Author(s): J R JONES; J F WALSH; B R LATZMAN
• Date Published: Unknown
• Length: 19 pages
• Publication Format: Document
• Language: English
• Country: United States of America

Annotation

THIS STUDY COMPARED THE EFFECTS OF FOUR DAY VS. FIVE-DAY WORK WEEKS ON SIX PROBATION OFFICERS OF A TYPICAL JUVENILE COURT PROBATION UNIT OF THE BASIS OF PROBATION EFFECTIVENESS, AND PERSONAL PREFERENCE VARIABLES.

Abstract

RESULTS OF THIS STUDY SUGGESTED MINIMAL CHANGE IN THE 'TREATMENT PROCESS' ON FOUR VS. FIVE-DAY SCHEDULES, EXCEPT FOR SIGNIFICANTLY INCREASED WEEKLY 'FIELD CLIENT CONTACT' ON THE FOUR-DAY SCHEDULE. PROBATION OFFICERS ALSO REPORTED GREATER JOB SATISFACTION ON A FOUR-DAY SCHEDULE, MORE ELONGATED AND UNINTERRUPTED EVENING CLIENT CONTACTS, AND MORE TOTAL 'FAMILY UNIT' INVOLVEMENT IN THE PROBATION PROCESS. HIGH INTER-PROBATION OFFICER VARIABILITY IN PROBATION EFFECTIVENESS WERE NOTICEABLE ON THE FOUR-DAY SCHEDULE. FATIGUE AND OVERTIREDNESS THROUGHOUT THE INITIAL SIXTEEN WEEKS ON A FOUR-DAY SCHEDULE WERE THE MAJOR DRAWBACK TO WORKING THE LONGER HOURS. FATIGUE WAS SO SEVERE IN TWO OF SIX WORKERS THAT THEY REQUESTED TO RETURN TO THEIR PREVIOUS FIVE-DAY SCHEDULE AFTER THE SIXTEENTH WEEK ON A FOUR-DAY SCHEDULE. FOUR OF SIX PROBATION OFFICERS HAVE CONTINUED THE FOUR-DAY SCHEDULE SUCCESSFULLY FOR SIXTEEN CONSECUTIVE MONTHS, WITHOUT ADVERSE EFFECTS. (AUTHOR ABSTRACT)...PLO