In an effort to save money, the Virginia state government is considering a proposal that would require state employees to work only four days a week. Should the proposal pass, employees of most state agencies - with the exceptions of law enforcement, public education and revenue-generating departments - still would have a 40-hour work week, but this time would be divided into four 10-hour days instead of the traditional five eight-hour days.
By having several offices closed Fridays, the state has the potential to save $3.19 million on energy and custodial costs. And such spending cuts may be extremely advantageous at the moment because of the current economic climate, said Issac Wood communications director at the Center for Politics and a former Cavalier Daily opinion columnist.
"I think now at all levels of government, there is a real desire to cut costs as an alternative to raising taxes," he said. This proposal, he added, is an example of the government "looking for ways to make cuts that would be really painless."
In addition, the proposal aims to "make the government more efficient," McDonnell's press assistant Taylor Thornley said. "If there is an agency that would work more efficiently by working four days for 10 hours at a time, then that is something worth looking into."
Regardless, the proposed new policy could have negative effects on some Virginia residents and employees. Residents would lose access to some agencies one additional day a week, and employees would need to readjust their schedules to accommodate significantly longer workdays.
"Obviously there are going to be some limitations on which government agencies can make this move," Wood said. "The question is, do the benefits to the state outweigh the cost?"
The Commission on Government Reform and Restructuring - which was formed by Gov. Bob McDonnell last spring to find ways to shrink the state budget - has voted in approval of the policy. An interim report will be presented to McDonnell for approval, Thornley said, and he will be able to adopt it legally without legislative approval from the General Assembly.
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