Utah Goes Green By Enforcing 4-Day Work Week: Something Gen Y Would Love!
Hello!
I came across this interesting article on USAToday.com about how Utah has become the first state to institute a mandatory 4-day work week for most of its state workers. The goal, according to Utah’s first-term Republican Gov. Jon Huntsman, is to “reduce the state’s carbon footprint, increase energy efficiency, improve customer service and provide workers more flexibility.”
It’s something for all you HR execs to think about…and your Millennial employees will love it. Less days at work AND you’re being a socially responsible employer!
The article states: The change will apply to about 17,000 employees, roughly 80% of the state workforce, Huntsman says. Public universities, the state court system, prisons and other critical services will be exempt. Residents still will have sufficient access to state offices, many staying open from 7 a.m.- 6 p.m., and more than 800 state services are available online.
And some experts piped in on this new policy in Utah:
Leslie Scott, executive director of the National Association of State Personnel Directors, says Huntsman’s action is a first. “Most states have a four-day work week option for their employees, but Utah is the first to go to a mandatory four-day work week,” she says. “A good number of the states are encouraging their agencies and managers to offer a four-day work week whenever possible.”
The four-day work week is fairly common among city and county governments. Rex Facer, an assistant professor at Brigham Young University whose research team is studying the four-day work week concept, estimates that about one-sixth of U.S. cities with populations above 25,000 offer employees a four-day work week. His projection is based on the team’s continuing survey of 150 city human resource directors.
Facer expects more cities to begin shuttering offices on Fridays. “The increasing pressures the American is facing around gas prices is certainly a significant factor, and the overall fiscal pressures governments are facing in general,” he says.
Jacqueline Byers, director of research at the National Association of Counties, says the four-day work week is gaining in popularity among county governments. Marion County, Fla., has a mandatory four-day work week for employees; Oconee County, S.C., and Walworth County, Wis., have it for road work crews, while Will County, Ill., has it for the auditor’s office. Oakland County, Mich., is seeking volunteers for a four-day work week, and Miami-Dade County, Fla., and Suffolk County, N.Y., are moving toward it, she says.
“They like it for a couple of reasons,” says Byers. “They’re not able to give raises, so this is like a bonus, to cut off one day’s commute. Also, if they can close a whole department (for a day), they save money for the county.”
Click here to read the entire article from USAToday.com!
Could be something we start to see more of in the corporate world, too. Many companies offer flexibility but may start to shift to a mandatory policy. Hey, if it saves employees money on gas, cuts down on traffic, and helps reduce our carbon footprint, why not?? Plus, the benefits to the employers (mentioned above) don’t sound so bad either!
Bye for now!
Lisa
Lisa Orrell is The Generation Relations Expert, and has appeared on ABC, MSNBC and NPR (to name a few). She is a speaker, consultant, and author of the book "Millennials Incorporated" (on Amazon). Based on her expertise, Lisa is an in-demand expert who educates well-known companies (such as Cisco Systems, Paul Mitchell, and Blue Cross/Blue Shield) about effectively attracting, recruiting, managing and retaining Millennials (Generation Y). She also conducts popular seminars on how to improve generation relations within the workforce – thus improving communication, productivity and revenue. MEDIA: Contact Lisa for an interesting interview!
July 3rd, 2008 at 3:39 am
Now they need a 4-day work week for Massachusetts companies. I’m of course in gen-y : )
July 4th, 2008 at 10:46 am
Is this really green? Now those 20,000+ employees will be home with the heat and a/c on. They will be driving around all day and running errands when they would have been at work.
July 6th, 2008 at 9:59 am
Good point, Andrew!
Hopefully the employees will take their “green concerns” home with them and go easy on fuel consumption and energy use. Maybe it’s just a big political ploy or a way for Utah to save money on their government employees.
Who knows?? But thanks for dropping by and sharing your interesting perspective!
Lisa
July 6th, 2008 at 6:00 pm
Hi Lisa,
That article about a 4-day work week caught my attention for two reasons:
The first was the green aspect, with the implications you have covered.
The other was the American work ethic and the fact that many Americans are “work acholics.â€As an ex-pat that lives in the UK, I have to say I enjoy a more relaxed work environment (though not as lax as my European neighbors). I get more holidays, time off without having to feel guilty about not checking email, more part-time options. France has a 35-hour work week, which translates to 22 extra days off a year!
Is this the start of a new American work week?
-Susanna
July 7th, 2008 at 8:16 am
See, i’m not sure that a 4 day work week is what gen Y wants. gen Y workers want to feel passionate about who they work for and the cause of the company. Reducing the work week just to appear green seems like a way of alienating this loyalty.
Now a better idea would be to implement a company initiative chosen by the gen Y group in the company chosen on the 5tg day every week. Now that would genuinely be progressive enough to attract and retain gen Y staff.
July 7th, 2008 at 8:35 am
Hi Sumon Says!
Yes, the point you bring up certainly has merit and good points. I educate companies on the importance of “hearing/listening” to their Millennial talent, and certainly throwing them (and other generations) a bone with a 4-day work week isn’t the “cure all” for retaining Gen Y. It gets much more complex than that in terms of how to effectively “managing” them.
But, Millennials and other generations may find the 4-day work week appealing. As I mentioned in my reply to Andrew, this whole Utah initiative may just be a “political/business” move to gain recognition and (perhaps) save money for the state.
There is WAY MORE things that companies need to consider for successfully recruiting, managing and retaining Gen Y employees. Just giving a 4-day work week isn’t enough. That’s what educate clients on in my seminars and discuss in my book, so I agree with your feedback.
I just thought the Utah initiative was interesting, but certainly not the “remedy” for retaining talent of any generation.
Thanks for saying hello and sharing your perspective!
Lisa
July 17th, 2008 at 3:16 am
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