State offices give 4-day workweeks a chance

Starting work an hour earlier was cause for celebration in some state offices Monday.

Many state employees have backed trying four-day workweeks, and 82 percent of those at the Department of Community Trade and Economic Development supported it before it began this week.

One division had a breakfast party to kick off the new shifts, deputy director Jan Marie Ferrell said. "There was a lot of energy and enthusiasm."

The department is the largest of several agencies experimenting with four 10-hour shifts, from 7 a.m. to 6 p.m. Monday through Thursday. It and the Department of Veterans Affairs switched to the new schedule, moving away from the traditional five-day, 8 a.m.-to-5 p.m. schedule.

Gov. Christine Gregoire asked for programs including 650 employees to try the shorter week as an energy-saving step, allowing buildings to be shut down for three-day weekends. Smaller programs, such as the Department of Archaeology and Historic Preservation, already had switched.

Community, Trade and Economic Development will close its Olympia headquarters on Fridays. The change affects about 300 workers.

Managers were briefed on the change, and they worked with employees to sort out complications with child care or other conflicts, Ferrell said. "Really we haven't had any showstoppers; no one has had issues we couldn't address."

Of 57 employees at the Department of Veterans Affairs headquarters, fewer than 10 had conflicts with the four-day week, spokeswoman Heidi Audette said. Those workers will adjust their schedules by logging work on the agency computer from home on Fridays.

Agencies changing schedules have worked to tell citizens about the new shifts and have some remote offices that will be open Fridays.

They will track how much energy is saved, employee performance and satisfaction, as well as community feedback.