Weber responds to "Work 4 Utah" plan

Beginning on Monday, August 4th, Utahns are in for some big changes. Governor Huntsman recently announced he is directing Utah in becoming the first state in the nation to work a mandatory four-day week, as opposed to the typical five days that most people are accustomed to.

This change will affect the work hours of approximately 17,000 state employees, according to Huntsman, as many state offices will extend operational hours from 7 am to 6 pm, Monday through Thursday. The hours of essential government entities however, such as the highway patrol, Utah state courts and state parks, as well as public schools and colleges, such as Weber State University, will remain the same, and will remain open on Fridays.

The goal of this revolutionary endeavor, officially called the "Working 4 Utah" initiative, according to Huntsman, is to conserve energy and reduce Utah's overall consumption of resources. By not having to heat, cool and operate services in approximately one thousand buildings across the state on Fridays, in addition to eliminating a day from the commute of many workers, the governor's plan is estimated to reduce energy usage by 20 percent annually, and save taxpayers millions of dollars.

While some people have voiced concern over the difficultly of adjusting child care schedules for the extended hours, as well as having to deal with transportation issues, the spokesperson for Governor Huntsman, former WSU student Lisa Roskelley, said the overall response has been optimistic.

"We have gotten a lot of positive feedback," Roskelley said.

For those who are worried about the Friday closures, Roskelley strongly recommended people take full advantage of the many online services the state provides.

"There are more than 800 services accessed online on the state Web site, Utah.gov," she said.

Roskelley also stated that the longer hours would be a convenience to the working class.

"We really think this will be a great opportunity for people who work themselves to access the services during the extended hours," she said.

WSU respiratory therapy student and Weber County employee Emily Crezee said she wishes the county government would follow in the state's footsteps.

"I think that it would be nice to only have to work a four-day week," she said. "It would be worth the extra hours to have Friday off."

When asked if she felt the new hours would be helpful or not, Crezee responded, "Unless you are open 24 hours, someone is going to be inconvenienced. You can't please everybody all the time. If I understand it correctly, the offices will be open longer hours, which will help the people who don't get off work until later."

Crezee said she is optimistic about the governor's plan overall.

"I feel that it will eventually help Utah, but it will take some time to see the effects," Crezee said. "It will save on costs and people will be able to travel more often with their families, which will help out the tourist towns of Utah. Overall, I see it as a benefit. Why not try to conserve resources if your employees are willing to put in the hours?"