Editor's note: This article appeared in the July 30, 2008, edition of Quirk's e-newsletter.
Griping about gas prices and the pain at the pump is nothing new for most commuting Americans, but few have been able to come up with a foolproof plan to begin re-padding their wallets. So what if there was a way to cut fuel costs by 20 percent while reducing energy use and emissions, without going Amish or spending a dime on new green gadgets? And what if it also meant three-day weekends all year round?
Say hello to the new workweek: four 10-hour days.
Across the country, companies and local governments are looking to this new configuration to save employees money, get cars off already-crowded roads and, perhaps most importantly, preserve the environment.
Most state workers in Utah, for example, are shifting to four-day weeks with the Working 4 Utah initiative, which extends 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 decision became permanent after a year-long trial period, making Utah the first to go statewide with the four-day workweek.
Turning off the lights, the heat and the air conditioning on Fridays in 1,000 of 3,000 Utah government buildings will save about $3 million a year out of a state budget of $11 billion, according to the governor's spokeswoman, Lisa Roskelley. Utah's Department of Environmental Quality estimated employees in six buildings alone will save themselves more than $300,000 spent on gas to commute to work.
Separately, Mayor Larry Langford of Birmingham, Ala., jumped on board with the four-day workweek, extending its reach from the company level to the entire city. He hopes that it will both maximize commuters' savings and reduce the wear and tear on the city. "If you have 3,500 workers off the road one day a week, you can't help but save money," Langford told ABC News.
KARE 11 News reported that Anoka County in Minnesota has already begun offering employees the option to switch to four 10-hour days. Along with stretching their dollars, employees working four 10-hour days enjoy the benefits of avoiding heavy rush hours by coming in earlier and leaving later.
Kim Noah, a graphics designer in Aiken, S.C., began her four-day weeks in June. Noah, who stays home on her day off to conserve gas money, told ABC News she now saves between $20 and $30 per week. She also has one less day per week to cover day care costs, which racks up another $20 in savings each week.
A great idea in theory, certainly, but surely not all operations can stay afloat with doors closed for business one day a week. Because of this snag, a four-day workweek might not be synonymous with a three-day weekend. At LeTourneau University in South Carolina, employees stagger their days off throughout the week so that offices aren't drastically short-staffed on Fridays or Mondays.
Another complaint with the four-day workweek is the 10-hour day. Some find managing appointments and maintaining evening activities to be unnecessarily exhausting after a long day. Most, however, enjoy the extra day to catch up on the honey-do list, hit the links, travel and spend time with family.
Employers also enjoy the benefit of employees putting in their forty hours in the office, as it eliminates the "work from home" scenario that, in some cases, has become a euphemism for "not working at all." With fuel costs and green awareness showing no signs of slowing, perhaps Americans will see the popularity of the four-day workweek rising almost as quickly as the gas prices.