Florida counties consider going to a 4-day workweek in an effort to save money and energy.
Next month government employees in Utah will switch to a 4-day workweek, while counties such as Brevard consider the benefits of doing the same.
According to Letha Watts, an employee at the Brevard County Tax Collectors office, she believes a 4-day workweek would be beneficial to the county.
“The buildings and the government vehicles will be used one less day a week. This plan would help save the municipalities [cities] money.” she said.
“It will also save the employees money on gas, since they’ll be commuting to work one less day a week,” she said.
“Cities are looking at a lower tax income, because of Amendment one and they’re trying to find different ways to cut the budget,” she said.
The state of Utah has estimated this plan will save them $3 million a year. She believes the money saved could limit the number of employees who could potentially be laid-off.
“Finding other ways to cut the budget might help them save jobs,” she said.
Employees will put in 10-hour workdays to account for the lost day.
“The downside will be adjusting to the longer workday. Once I adjust, I’ll do the stuff I was putting off. It would be nice to have more free time to do the things I normally wouldn’t do,” she said.
Ethan Philpot, a materials engineering student at the University of Florida, spent the last two summers interning at the Kennedy Space Center and plans to again next summer.
The possibility of a 4-day workweek would allow Philpot to spend more time with family and friends.
“I would be able to spend more time with loved ones, but adjusting to a 10 hour day would be hard. Eight hours is already hard enough to do,” he said.
According to Watts, a recent survey given in her office revealed 75 percent of the employees were in favor of a 4-day workweek.
“Right now they’re just trying to figure out how everyone feels about the idea, and then they’ll decide what they’re going to do,” she said.
“It may be an inconvenience for some, but in the long run I think it will be more of a positive thing than a negative,” she said.
3 comments.
on August 15th, 2008 at 4:51 pm
How dare anyone think they can change to a 4 day work week, without raising pay to save money. brevard county will be on the streets, oh that is except for the wealthy and well off. houses are being foreclosed on, people who ordinarily wouldnt even think twice about riding to the store to get milk now have to be on welfare to even think about affording milk. Are you people mad? yes that is great i only have to work 4 days instead of 5! wow thats great until i get my paycheck and see ive lost a full days work and nopw my rent can’t get paid this month and next month i’ll be a month behind and before i know ill be evicted. come on people what are you all really trying to prove? that the rich keep getting richer meanwhile the poor keep getting poorer. thats great. i just hope that one day those of priveledge and power will be in our shoes, wondering day to day how they are going to make a bill or how they may be able to eat.
on August 16th, 2008 at 10:37 am
Don’t know if you are kidding Cristin, or just don’t understand what a 4-day workweek entails. Although Melissa clearly explained it in her well-written article.
4 days x 10 hours/day = 40 hours.
There’s no reduction in pay. If anything, an employee working a 4-day work week will actually make more money per week, since they have to commute to work one less day (saving gas money).
on September 27th, 2008 at 10:52 am
Cristin did you even read the article or just the title? It would be saving money for everyone, plus an extra day off. I’d be fully in favor of a 4 day week.
What do you think?
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