“Workers of the World: Sleep In!”

Last year, former Utah Governor Jon Huntsman (R) announced the Working 4 Utah initiative, which extended state government service hours from 7am to 6pm, Monday through Thursday, thus giving 17,000 of the state’s 24,000 executive branch employees three-day weekends for as long as the program lasts. While at least 70 cities already practice a form of either a staggered or compressed workweek, this large-scale experiment has been watched closely by many cash-strapped companies, cities and states.

Huntsman’s goals were ambitious: “As we go forward with this initiative, we will conserve energy, save money, improve our air quality, and enhance customer service," he said. "We live in a dynamic, ever-changing environment, and it's crucial that we take a serious look at how we can adapt and maintain our state's unparalleled quality of life."

So, one year into the program, how’s “Working 4 Utah” working for Utah? Although a recent evaluation of the program by state planners found that the energy savings haven't materialized quite as much as expected, there were some unanticipated boosts to productivity and worker satisfaction. Lori Wadsworth, a researcher at Brigham Young University, surveyed state workers who’ve switched to the four-day workweek and found that 82 percent prefer it. “Utah employees actually show decreased health complaints, less stress, and fewer sick days,” Wadsworth noted.

In addition, absenteeism has noticeably dropped, while productivity and quality of service have improved, with early evidence seeming to allay fears that 10-hour workdays would “burn out” employees. Longer weekends can also result in more time spent in recreation and/or with the family. In addition—as noted by Tufts University research—workers also reported having more time to volunteer in their communities.

Although the original goal of the shorter workweek was to cut energy use by 20 percent, actual savings were more in line with a 13-percent reduction. Believe it or not, one of the major obstacles was trying to figure out how to turn off the massive heating and air conditioning units on Fridays. Even despite the technical difficulties, though, current energy savings translate into Utah shrinking its carbon footprint by 6,000 metric tons.

The financial savings were impressive, too. At the nine-month mark, it was reported that Utah had saved $1.8 million. And, according to Governor Huntsman, “the cost savings will only grow if the four-day workweek is granted permanent status” because the state can renegotiate long-term leases and further refine “smarter” energy, heating, and cooling systems in buildings. Add to that less driving, less gasoline consumption, and more money not spent on commuting that workers can now add to Utah’s economy as a stimulus.

What is the potential downside to this program? Will there be longer-term effects of working a four-day week? Can worker productivity keep up or will it eventually lag? Time will tell—in any case, it can't hurt to at least re-think the post-1938 Fair Labor Standards Act workweek paradigm.

The final report on the pilot program is expected to be sent to Utah state lawmakers in October. In the meantime, there are a whole lot of interested folks out there contemplating taking the three-day weekend plunge themselves.