This is supposed to save money. It will be interesting to see just how much money actually will be saved.

As for the Washington Federation of State Employees and other state employee unions, they can't be complaining about this latest directive from Gov. Chris Gregoire. I mean, they get a 3-day weekend.

There's always another side of the coin.

For instance, when Gregoire "cut" 1,000 middle managers from state government, one huge by-product was to eliminate Washington Management Services positions and shift the work to union dues-paying workers.

This is sorta like that move, though this one is more likely to be cheered by rank-and-file workers, while the middle manager reduction was boon for the union itself.

Gov. Gregoire directs state agencies to experiment with four-day workweek, use additional energy savings measures

OLYMPIA – Gov. Chris Gregoire today directed selected state agencies to experiment with a four-day workweek and to put into place additional measures for saving energy.

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Some agencies will be adopting the new schedule at all of their offices, while others will be moving to the 10-hour, four-day week at selected locations. These agencies are:

Department of Archeology and Historic Preservation (agency wide)
Department of Community, Trade and Economic Development (Olympia headquarter buildings)
Department of General Administration (Materials Management Center, warehouse facility)
Department of Personnel (training facility in downtown Olympia)
Department of Fish and Wildlife (Union Street office, back office operations)
Department of Services for the Blind (Seattle field office)
Department of Veterans Affairs (headquarters operations)
Office of Minority and Women’s Business Enterprises (agency wide)
Parks and Recreation Commission (Auburn regional office)

“Last month I asked employees for their ideas to help save energy in state government, and the suggestion to try a four-day workweek was the most recommended,” Gregoire said. “I am asking certain agencies to try the new schedule to see if it helps save energy while maintaining the level of service expected by state residents.”

Advantages that might be gained by the new schedule include:
· Reduced environmental impact due to lower energy use;
· Fewer commute trips by employees, which will save gas, help the environment and reduce burdens on our roads;
· State budget savings in reduced energy and janitorial costs;
· Increased employee satisfaction; and
· Increased customer service by offering extended hours Monday through Thursday.

The offices were chosen for the test based on several criteria, including staff willingness to participate, opportunity to close an entire facility and ability to realize significant energy savings.

The agencies involved in the test represent approximately 650 state employees in almost 260,000 square feet of offices and other building space owned or leased by the state. The pilot agencies will meet next week to develop the pilot start time and duration.

Gregoire also directed all state agencies to implement additional energy savings measures. These approaches are already being used in some agencies, and the governor is asking all agencies to follow suit.

The measures primarily fall into three categories: smart travel choices, limiting energy usage and reducing resource consumption.

“All of our residents are feeling the pinch caused by rising energy prices,” Gregoire said. “I am directing the state to take the lead in reducing consumption whenever possible through these common-sense measures. Reducing energy use is good for our environment and good for our budget.”

These changes build on successful energy savings initiatives already adopted by the state. These include the requirement that new state-funded building projects must meet Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) Silver standards, funding of Green Energy Grants, installation of computer-shutdown software, and an emphasis on purchasing flex-fuel vehicles for the state motor pool.

A letter to all state employees from the governor is available at: http://www.governor.wa.gov/news/20080910_letter.pdf