A pilot project that saw Utah embark on a four-day work week produced mediocre savings but proved a big-seller for employees.
New calculations show Utah saved about $5.5 million US during the year-long government experiment with a work schedule that had employees work four 10-hour days a week.
Former Gov. Jon Huntsman made the switch for Utah in August 2008 in hopes of solving several issues, including improving work-life balance while reducing energy costs, said Mike Hansen, strategic planner for the governor's office, in an interview with CBC Radio's As It Happens on Monday.
"We were having troubles recruiting qualified applicants for upper level positions so we wanted to get at a quality of life aspect," said Hansen.
The government also hoped to improve air quality by reducing the need for commuting, something Hansen believes was achieved by the fact the state car fleet drove five million fewer kilometres in the past year.
The biggest surprise was a $4-million reduction in overtime costs without sacrificing productivity, said Hansen, across the board in all agencies.
"I know in my own case, I would work my normal work week but then I would take a laptop and a bunch of files home at night. But when you work a 10-hour-day, back to back to back, you get it done. I don't know how else to describe it but you're kind of done at the end of the day," he said.
Other savings included spending $500,000 less to heat and cool buildings, and $250,000 less in janitorial services. The state had hoped to save $3 million in energy costs but wasn't able to shut down as many buildings as it hoped.
Only a slim majority of state employees endorsed the shortened worked week initially, but that number grew as the year progressed.
"What we saw was 52 per cent of employees were favourable. They liked the idea of a 4/10 (workweek) before it started," said Hansen. "But then there was this very big group that weren't sure."
"But half way through the year, we did the same survey, same type of questions and that number went up to 70. And then when we got to the end of the pilot period, one year, that number went up to 82 per cent," said Hansen.
The state is now crunching numbers to see what Utah citizens think of the trial. Those statistics should be available next month.
Utah's new governor, Gary Herbert, has yet to decide whether to continue the four-day work week.
