Senators support Gibbons’ plan for state workers’ four-day week

CARSON CITY -- Most state employees would work four-day weeks of 10-hour days under a money-saving proposal that the state Senate ordered drafted into bill form Thursday.

On a voice vote, senators supported a proposal by Gov. Jim Gibbons that would put most state offices under a 7 a.m. to 6 p.m. Monday through Thursday work week. The idea had received strong support from state employees as a way to reduce the budget deficit.

Under the bill, state prison employees would work seven, 12-hour shifts every two weeks, or 84 hours during that period, and the Higher Education System of Nevada would change its work schedule, with some employees working 10-hour days Monday through Thursday, and others 10-hour days Tuesday through Friday.

Public schools would be exempted from the four-day work week because their schedules are negotiated through collective bargaining with unions.

Agencies could apply to the state Board of Examiners, chaired by the governor, for exemptions from the proposed work week.

A Gibbons deputy chief of staff said even though most state offices would be closed every Friday, the public wouldn't suffer from the change.

"Utah does it and the public loves it," said Lynn Hettrick.

"Wouldn't you like to go to a state office at 7 a.m. and get something done before you go to work?" added Stacy Woodbury, another deputy chief of staff.

She said that several cities in the state -- including Henderson and North Las Vegas -- already operate under four-day work weeks.

Andrew Clinger, Gibbons' budget director, said after the hearing that he did not see how service to the public could suffer since employees would work the same amount of hours.

A state poll conducted in Utah in December found that 60 percent of residents favored their state's four-day, 10-hour work week, while support among state employees was 82 percent.

But Utah officials decided to go back to a five-day work week for some Department of Motor Vehicles offices. In Nevada, some DMV offices are open six days a week.

Nevada officials anticipate saving about $12 million through the work week change, along with a $9 million savings in higher education expenditures. They're hoping the savings can help the state handle a shortfall estimated at $887 million.

About half of the savings would come from reduced utility costs, although Utah found utility savings were only $700,000, not the $3 million as initially estimated.

The remainder of the savings in Nevada would come from another bill requirement that state, college and university employees take off one, 10-hour unpaid furlough day per month.

Now, they must take off one eight-hour furlough day per month, which means their salaries are reduced by 4.6 percent.

With the 10-hour furlough day requirement, salary reductions would be 5.75 percent.

The bill also would require all state agencies now exempted from furlough requirements, mainly the Department of Corrections, to reapply by July to the Board of Examiners if they cannot accommodate furloughs.

Contact Capital Bureau Chief Ed Vogel at evogel@ reviewjournal.com or 775-687-3901.