State Employees Consider Shorter Work Week

A public hearing is planned this week to discuss whether a four-day work week for state employees would save money as energy prices continue to rise.

Sunday, July 6th 2008, 7:01 pm

By: News On 6

State Employees Consider Shorter Work Week

TULSA, Okla. (AP) -- A public hearing is planned this week to discuss whether a four-day work week for state employees would save money as energy prices continue to rise.

Utah last week announced that it would have thousands of state employees start working 10 hours Monday through Thursday and then take Friday off in a yearlong experiment.

Oklahoma Public Employees Association deputy director Scott Barger says this state's workers would support a similar plan. He says polls have shown that 98% of the association's approximately 10,500 members favor a four-day work week.

Office of Personnel Management executive director Oscar Jackson says some organizational decisions would have to be made for the plan to work.

Agencies would have to determine whether they could afford to close one day per week or rotate their employees so the office would remain open Monday through Friday.

A public hearing is planned Wednesday at the state Capitol.

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