Utah State Workers Move to Four-Day Week
July 3, 2008 (PLANSPONSOR.com) - Many state workers
in Utah are moving to a four-day work week next month in an
effort to "conserve energy, save money, improve our air
quality, and enhance customer service."
The 'Working 4 Utah' initiative will extend state
government service hours from 7 a.m. to 6 p.m., Monday
through Thursday beginning the first week of August. State
administrative offices will be closed on Fridays but
essential public services will remain open that already run
on extended hours and during the weekends.
The
order
issued by Republican Governor Jon Huntsman will affect
about 17,000 out of 24,000 executive-branch employees. It
will not cover state police officers, prison guards or
employees of the courts or Utah's public universities.
Energy Savings
Turning off the lights, the heat and the air
conditioning on Fridays in 1,000 of 3,000 government
buildings will save about $3 million a year out of a state
budget of $11 billion, according to the Associated Press,
citing the governor's spokeswoman Lisa Roskelley. The state
will also save on gasoline used by official vehicles, but
authorities have not figured out how much.
The Department of Environmental Quality estimated employees
in six buildings alone will save themselves more than
$300,000 spent on gas to commute to work (see
http://www.utah.gov/governor/docs/SavingsCharts.xls
).
In announcing the initiative, Governor Huntsman noted
that the 'Working 4 Utah' initiative will be "critically
evaluated following a one year period to allow for any
necessary adjustments in the future."
Nevin E. Adams
editors@plansponsor.com