So goes Utah

By Amy Dain
June 30th, 2008

Most of us have this Friday off. Happy 4th to you! As I recently commented on this blog, most Winchester employees will be getting all Fridays off this summer, in a town initiative to save energy.

As Winchester goes, so goes Utah. It is the first state to try shutting down public buildings on Fridays to cut back on energy costs. One thousand buildings will be open just 4-days per week, from 7am to 6 pm (previously 8-5). The new schedule may allow more residents to get business with the state done before heading to work.

I’m interested in learning how the new schedule will affect the delivery of public services, and what public employees think of the change.

The New York Times reports that a county in NY is launching a pilot, starting tomorrow, to allow 568 non-union employees to work four 10-hr days instead of five 8-hr days. The goal is to reduce the county’s carbon footprint by reducing employee commuting time. The employees will keep a log of miles driven.