Gas prices at $4 a gallon, rising energy costs and long commutes are a good thing - if you want to embark on a bold experiment.
Those circumstances have spurred Utah's state government to shorten some employees' workweeks to four 10-hour days from the customary five 8-hour days. Roughly 17,000 of 24,000 executive branch employees will switch to the new schedule starting in August, The Associated Press reported.
Gov. Tim Kaine, as well as other state officials, should look closely at Utah's plan to see if it's worth duplicating here. Kaine has already announced "telework" policies for gubernatorial appointees, as well as a revised policy for state employees, to save energy and boost productivity. The plan requires employees to sign an agreement listing the terms and conditions for working away from a central site.
Oklahoma and West Virginia are examining whether their state employees should move to a schedule that provides workers with a regular three-day weekend, according to the National Conference of State Legislatures.
Some of the advantages are obvious: More time to spend with the family, travel or just rest. One fewer day to fight the traffic and burn gas. Less need for electricity, heat or air conditioning in government buildings. A reduction of CO2. Turning off the lights, heat and air conditioning on Fridays in 1,000 buildings, according to a Utah governor's spokeswoman, could save $3 million annually in an $11 billion budget.
Of course, challenges will arise. What to do about services that will no longer be available on Fridays? How will parents, with longer daily work schedules, coordinate child care, transportation and after-school events?
Many workers are excited about the proposal, according to the AP report. With so many of us already spending more than 40 hours in the workplace, an extra day off really would seem like a holiday - 52 times a year.
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