McHenry Co. state's attorney lets staff work 4 days

Record fuel prices may be making life particularly difficult for truckers, cabbies and anyone else who drives for a living, but for the rest of us, just getting to and from the office can seem like a financial burden these days.

Which is why McHenry County State's Attorney Louis Bianchi announced a plan Friday to give some of his staff a break from the pain of the pump this summer.

Starting July 7 and running through Aug. 29, 22 members of Bianchi's administrative staff will begin serving their 37.5-hour work week over four days instead of the usual five, a move that will cut their commuting costs by 20 percent.

"It's going to conserve energy, save money and give people an opportunity to spend more time with their families," Bianchi said Friday. "There are so many good reasons to do this."

It also conforms to the county's "Go Green" effort, a formal policy approved by the county board this year that encourages all county departments to seek out ways to cut back on the use of energy and natural resources wherever possible.

When announced Friday morning, 22 of the 23 staff members eligible for the program immediately signed up, said State's Attorney Office Manager Karen Rhodes. Those participating will be encouraged to schedule doctors and dentists visits on those off days to reduce sick time used, she said.

Bianchi said the program will not extend to the office's attorneys or investigators.

"As much as we'd like to do that, we can't," he said. "We've got too much work to do."