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Four days a week, 10 hours a day, closed on Fridays. That's the new schedule for most state offices, and it took effect today. But the change is coming with some mixed reviews.
The four-day workweek ordered by Gov. Jon Huntsman Jr. will affect 17,000 state employees.
For some, it's the three-day weekend they've always dreamed of. For others, it's a tough adjustment.
It was the same old hustle and bustle at the DMV today. The only difference was posted for everyone to see: 7 a.m. to 6 p.m., Monday through Thursday. The rest of the week state employees will enjoy a longer weekend.
Effective today, they're on a four-day, 10-hour workweek. It's part of the governor's plan to save money and energy.
Rose Kenworthy at the state Division of Environmental Quality says the long hours are well worth the extra time with family.
"I thought it was about time. I thought it was the best thing they ever did," she said.
But not all state employees are convinced change is good and wish they had more say in the matter.
Ajay Gupta said, "It was pretty frustrating."
Gupta is a state income tax auditor, but he's also studying for the GRE and hoping to get into a master's program.
"Having to stay in the office a couple of hours later at day, it takes away study time and other social activities, time with family," he said.
And others argue it will also create problems for those who now have one fewer day to utilize state services.
Royce Van Tassell, vice president of the Utah Taxpayers Association, said, "That's really the responsibility of government. If you're going to require them to come in, you need to make yourself available when the rest of the world is doing business."
When it comes to the issue of money and energy, the state says nearly 900 buildings now can be fully or partially shut down on Fridays, saving an estimated $3 million a year.
Utah is the first state in the country to shut down most of its services on Fridays. Gov. Huntsman is encouraging people to take advantage of Utah's online access to those agencies.
E-mail: wjohnson@ksl.com
