Comments about ‘Audit questions four-day workweek’

This was a bad decision from the get go: Save one hour of overall time per week with the four-day schedule versus the five-day schedule. Inconvenience the tax-paying citizens by giving them less access to services such as DMV (which has now reverted at least partially). Environmentals are still on in all buildings for those who must still be in the building. More lighting needed in the shorter daylight months.

It was a fantastic decision for political currency: Get Huntsman's name in circulation for being "innovative" and "green."

For any commuting impact on the ecology, there was increased impact from doing errands, recreation, etc that was done on th extra day off.

At-will employment seems to be just a tool for employers to increase their power to fire at will for no cause and reduce the cost to the employer and increasing the profits of both the employer and business/government agency. Unless employees are given more due process rights, it will be those working for the least amount of money who will shoulder the burden of keeping those making more money in power and in more luxury.

Some city's in Utah have considered this new schedule but many employees have shown signs of rebellion. They say "why work 4-10's when we are already working 5-6's " I agree, just how many are actually working the 10 hr day and what has the state gained from all of this. Not to mention the lack of Friday DMV and other access.

what is the cost to the economy of not having public access to government offices on Friday. i find it slows down my business considerably to have to crowd all contact with state offices into 4 days per week.

my experience has been that the full staff is not there 10 hours a day on the 4 days they are supposed to be in. the office may be open the extra hours, but the staff is not there the full time.

In my experience, productivity is much lower for the employees working 4-10's vs 5-8's. Basically, the employees who are supposed to be working 10's are generally not working an honest 10.

When the TEN starts the workday early, generally nothing is done before the boss shows up. Or, as long as the TEN arrives before the boss (7:00, 7:30, 8:00, whatever), the TEN came in at 6. As far as the boss knows.

The TEN takes several meal breaks per day. Any combination of breakfast, lunch, and afternoon snack. The TEN takes 2 hours or so of meal breaks, and it's ALLLLLLLL time worked. What a deal.

In my experience, the workday of the TEN ends up being less then the standard 5 day employees, yet the 5 day employees work one extra day.

If I were the state, I'd get rid of the 4-10's. The 4-10's work week is generally a scam.

I'm absolutely SHOCKED!! Did a liberal politician predict the savings from his government program would be higher than they actually were? My, how can this be?

It seems that breaking federal labor laws is rampant in state government. It is against the law for the state or any employer to allow employee's work through lunch after a 4 hour period and any employee that does this is taking illegal long breaks anyway.

This is a choice employees and employers do not have under federal labor laws. It has mental and physical repercussions on employees. And what happens when all the employees leave early? Basically the office is shut down.

Having worked in federal government 4 day work week I have seen and felt the reasons not to have them. Efficiency and employee job abuse quadruples and losses exceed any gains. Overtime cost escalate because works can't perform their jobs in the 4 days allotted, too tired. Sick leave, no shows, and personal day abuse goes off the charts. Allotted labor to perform a task takes longer, and sleeping on the job rises. The 4-10's work day is a bust and it was studied decades ago when the 8 hour 5 day work week was established as the most efficient use of labor and business costs. This report seems to verify that.

AT WILL, another way of saying work for the lowest bidder. Utah taking another step backward in the name of political expediency...

Utah is like France.

Usually when there financial problems one works more not less. Why not 6-12's like the pioneers who used to lived in these valley?

The trouble with the United States is that no one works a full day, a full month, or even a full year.

We have to face the new reality.

We are basically lazy and our government service sector reflects our new laziness.

It is unprofessional for auditors to present findings they cannot tie to facts. When the auditors say the 4-10 schedule "may" be costing money in lost productivity, they are making an assumption rather than stating a fact. The data presented does not support the assumption made.

It’s also possible the 4-10 schedule has increased productivity — yet that assumption was not presented (and, if it were, it would be just as erroneous). Auditors should present only the facts. I’m surprised this lapse of professionalism was not challenged in the hearing.

Like $1 million isn't worth saving? Yes, it is difficult to calculate and monitor some activities but simple mathematics on savings isn't all there is and assumptions on the part of some can be misleading and just plain wrong. But, it still seems to me that saving a million bucks is worth doing.

Having worked in both private sector and government sector, and having worked both a 5-8 & 4-10 schedule in both, the productivity level does not change much from either perspective. Those who believe government employees are less productive working 4-10's than private employees working 5-8's are being untruthful.

What happens around the office say Friday about lunch time? Everything kind of slows down, some leave early for the weekend, generally the pace becomes much slower and less gets done for those 4-5 hours on a Friday afternoon than the rest of the week. That is a fact folks, just look around this Friday at 2:30 and see what goes on.

How this is different than someone working a 4-10 schedule slowing down for the last hour or so I am failing to understand.

In the current budget state of the government, each and every dollar saved should be applauded. As much as hoped, probably not. But more than nothing, definetly. AC/Heat is not on in buildings with 4-10 schedules in government offices on Fridays. Savings right there.

FYI - The Draper DMV is open on Fridays.

I get annoyed by the no access to government offices on Friday. It may be great for them, but not so great for me.

How many people do you know who work a full 8 hours productively? Ask anyone on a ten hour work day how productive they feel. Ten hours...folks just can't do that length of time well. How well do you do when you work a long day? I think we all know this program isn't doing anything for the state.

Good post, Williary. I work the 4-10s and I work every bit of that time. I often stay late and arrive early in order to get everything done.

People who complain about the schedule may want, if they are not already doing so, to plan ahead. People nowadays seem to want the convenience of 24 hour service. It is indeed sometimes inconvenient to work around a different schedule, but if someone gets up early or goes late, the offices are open and people are there to provide service. Its up to everyone to plan accordingly.

"The lieutenant governor agreed the state should better monitor employee productivity."

That is the biggest understatement of the year.

Whenever there are layoffs on the state level (which is rare) they go by length of employment as the primary deciding factor. If you've worked for the state for 20 years you are far more likely to keep your job, even if you sit at your desk and twiddle your thumbs all day. If you've worked for the state for only 5 years, in the same position, you are almost gauranteed to be the first laid off, even if you prove to be the more productive employee.

There is also no incentive for employees to even try hard in many state agencies. This is due to policies that ensure that whenever a raise is given it is given to all who fall within a payscale. Rate of pay has been completely separated from level of productivity of individual employees.

Frankly, the audit is bogus at best. It is not really an audit but a bunch of speculation. I do agree with the skipping lunch verbage. An employee should be forced to take lunch. 7 til 5:30 with a 30 minute lunch should be the minimum. I fully disagree with the exercise comment. It is to the advantage of any employer to have their people exercise for 30 minutes 3 times a week. The State has a signed contract. I believe the auditor speculation failed to mention the contract that includes an "agreed" time for the 3 periods each week.

Perhaps in the next go around, more professional auditors can do a better job on a real audit not just points that the head auditor wanted to make and then tried to back up with undocumented words.