For state employees, the usual 9-to-5 grind might soon be a thing of the past. Gov. Bob McDonnell's Commission on Government Reform and Restructuring has recommended that 25 state agencies move to four-day workweeks that comprise of 10 hours each day. By this method, the 40-hour work week would be preserved. The move, in theory, would allow the state to save millions of dollars on its energy bill and other operating costs each month, amounting to $3.19 million total. The time period necessary to accrue that amount was unspecified.
Thus far, Utah has been the only state to implement such a policy, making the switch in 2008. After a year of the program, the state reported that its energy use had decreased by 13 percent. Moreover, employees saved as much as $6 million across the board, dollars that were particularly important as soaring gas prices reached record levels. Then-Gov. Jon Huntsman had anticipated saving $3 million in energy costs for Utah. But in July of this year, an evaluation of the program pointed out that the initiative only managed to cut $502,000 during its first year - about one-sixth of what the government had hoped. Furthermore, the audit noted that several employees were not meeting the 10-hour mark each day, meaning that the state's overall productivity likely diminished.
Nevertheless, McDonnell's commission voted unanimousy to recommend the switch. Some agencies, such as those involving law enforcement and public health, would be exempt from the mandate, but on the whole, hundreds of buildings still could be closed for three-day weekends, according to the commission. In light of the results of Utah's experiment, though, this change may not save as much as the commission thinks. Similarly, if productivity also becomes an issue, the switch to a 10-4 program may not be as worthwhile as imagined.
Institutions of higher education, including the University, would not be affected either. If the state decides to move to four-day weeks, not including universities in its plan is clearly the correct move. The demand for class space is high, and if the state is aiming to increase the number of degrees conferred, it would be next to impossible to accommodate four-day academic weeks. Furthermore, universities deserve to retain a degree of autonomy. Because public schools operate largely as their own independent organizations, it is unreasonable to expect state government officials to know enough about these institutions to cut costs effectively from the top-down.
Although McDonnell should not mandate this cost-cutting measure for colleges, he could suggest universities explore if the option is feasible for certain administrative offices. It is possible that some of the University's functions, for example, could be consolidated to fit an abbreviated workweek. A great deal of research should be consulted before any decisions are made; this can ensure that it is reasonable to expect that energy will be saved and that productivity will not decline.
Recent discussions at the University about offering three-year bachelor's degree options can be seen as a sort of long-term parallel to the four-day work week. Although the goals are somewhat different, both seek to eliminate downtime to accomplish the same amount of work during an abbreviated period. Both aim to reduce costs without eliminating output or value. The University fulfills its academic mission when it considers innovative programs to serve the needs of students better and deliver an education to them at the lowest possible cost - without sacrificing quality. If universities are charged with being leaders in the academic realm, there is no reason they cannot also lead the charge in changing outdated ways of thinking about business and administrative problems, as well.
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