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SALT LAKE CITY -- State employees are preparing to switch their workweek again.
The Utah State Legislature overrode the governor's veto of a bill that restores a five-day-a-week, eight-hour day to many state employees.
For state workers likely affected by the workweek change, there are sharp differences of opinion whether or not this is a good change.
"I'm kind of torn," said state employee Terri Johnson. "I kind of like the four days, but then it's hard, too."
Division of Child and Family Services employee Debbie Heinhold is set in her opinion. "I didn't like the five-day workweek. I really prefer the four-day." Heinhold says it saved energy and she didn't hear many complaints.
But many KSL spoke to are looking forward to a Monday-through-Friday schedule.
"When you have a 10-hour work day, if you take a lunch and counting your commute, you're at a 11- to 12-hour day, and really that's a long work day," said state employee Brenda Bryant.
Going forward, there may be some scheduling options for employees. That's because HB328 has a lot of leeway built into it.
"People that do want the four-day workweek would be able to flex it the way they want to; give state employees a little more options and room to work things in their lives," said Jessi Wasden, who says she personally had more flexibility with the five-day schedule.
As long as the public is served during business hours, every state agency has the power to find the right number of physical locations, hours of operation and number of employees.
"The public expects the state offices to be open and people who are accessible," said Rep. Mike Noel, R-Kanab.
Right now, no one knows for sure how many of 17,000 state employees on the four-day schedule will switch -- or how much the switch will cost taxpayers. Those particulars will be figured out before the law takes effect in September.
Gov. Gary Herbert says the cost of switching over is about $790,000, and could even go as high as $1 million. But Legislative leaders say those costs will be taken into account and funded next year.
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Story written with contributions from Richard Piatt and Mary Richards.
