Pack your bags, kiddies, we're moving to Utah!

In an effort to reduce commuters' gas expenses and state energy costs, Utah will switch to a 4-day work week starting next month for thousands of state government workers. In other words, my dream come true. Basically, it's a yearlong experiment in which around 17,000 out of 24,000 state employees will put in 10 hour workdays Mon-Thurs and have Fri off. Sweet. The idea is that turning off heat, air conditioning, and lights in government buildings on Fridays will save the state about $3 million per year. The Department of Energy also estimates that employees of six buildings will save themselves more than $300,000 on gas to commute to work. Those figures add up to a lot of money saved, if all goes according to plan.

Of course, there are downsides, such as working 10 hour days (starting at 7am) and uprooting already-set daily routines such as babysitting/daycare arrangements and train schedules. And of course, not all will be able to take advantage of this- state police officers, prison guards, court employees, etc are exempt. But it is a bold move on Utah's part to try to cut mounting energy costs, and we'll see how successful it is. Other states will probably follow suit if it indeed is successful. In the meantime, I'm considering getting a state job in Utah.