news.yahoo.com/s/ap/ut_four_day_workweek
State employees were eager to leave after the longer workday, and weren't inclined to work an extra hour or two. "They're getting what they need to get done in 10 hours and going home," said Angie Welling, spokeswoman for Gov. "The state envisioned some energy savings, but that overtime number was not anticipated," she said Wednesday. Utah was the first state in the country to shut down most of its services on Fridays. Hawaii tried a limited four-day week last fall, when a similar program was under way in Washington state. Lawmakers in at least two other states -- West Virginia and Virginia -- have also looked into adopting a four-day workweek. Jon Huntsman made the switch for Utah in August 2008, largely to cut energy costs. Utah, however, achieved only a sixth of the $3 million it expected to trim on energy costs. The state couldn't shut down as many state buildings as it planned on Fridays, officials said, and it didn't save much by closing the smaller buildings. Also, the state assumed gasoline for state fleet car use and building utility costs would soar, and it would save as much. Both expenditures actually fell over the past year, however. Utah has some of the lowest utility rates in the country. The figures were released Wednesday by Herbert's strategic planner, Mike Hansen. The new governor -- Huntsman left to become the US ambassador to China -- is undecided on whether to stick with the program, Welling said. He feels like we have good data on the amount of cost savings, employee satisfaction and the energy reduction. What he things is missing is input from the public," she said. To that end, Herbert will commission a poll of public sentiment -- citizens lost a day of government service with the switch. Another survey found 85 percent of the workers like working four longer days better than five shorter ones. Working mothers like Carolyn Dennis -- she has two young sons -- found a way to adjust. "It's actually a lot easier than the five-hour day, because I have all day Friday to clean and run errands and still have the whole weekend to spend with my kids," said Dennis, customer service manager for the Utah Division of Occupational and Professional Licensing. We never did anything in the evening anyway, but having that extra day has made it easier to be a working mom." Dennis leaves the Salt Lake City suburb of West Jordan at 5:45 am with her youngest, a 2-year-old, in tow. she drops him at a day care center near work in downtown Salt Lake City. Her husband, a business owner, drops the couple's 7-year-old son, a first-grader, at school. Dennis works from 6:30 am to 5 pm, skipping lunch hour and leaving a half-hour earlier than normal. That allows her to cut down a long day for her youngest. "I started out getting him dressed while he was still asleep, but now he's getting up early for breakfast. He's happy and smiling when I drop him off, so it makes my day go better," she said. "I do love the 4/10 and told my boss if they take it away, I'll probably cry," she said.
The information contained in the AP News report may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed without the prior written authority of The Associated Press.
|