September 17, 2008

Feds nix four-day week for U.S. government employees

While local governments across New York are exploring the possibility of four-day weeks for their employees, the federal Office of Personnel Management (OPM) has rejected the idea.

In a letter to U.S. Representative Steny H. Hoyer (D-Maryland), Michael W. Hager, acting OPM director, says:

We have concluded that such a proposal would be detrimental to the Federal Government's ability to provide essential services, would weaken national security safeguards, and impact current recruitment and retention efforts with within the Federal workforce.

Hoyer, whose Maryland district is home to thousands of federal workers,had asked OPM to do a "comprehensive analysis of transitioning to a 4-day work week for all possible federal employees." He said the shorter work week would save government energy costs and "limit unnecessary commuting" by employees.

OPM, responds Hager, "would strongly advise against any efforts to compromise national security in the name of energy conservation." He notes, "the Nation's defense, homeland security, and intelligence operations, which must function around the clock, would certainly be jeopardized."

Four-day work weeks would make it harder for Americans to contact the Social Security Administration, Internal Revenue Service and other agencies, he says.

In addition, 10-hour days could hurt recruitment and retention of government workers.

As you know, many Federal employees have responsibilities for caring for young children or aging adults. Others are dependent on mass transit or carpools for transportation to and from their worksite. They could be negatively impacted by a requirement to work the extended hours required by a 10-hour day.

A little history: In 1868, Congress enacted an eight-hour day for federal employees, a milestone in labor history. Seventy years later, in 1938, Congress extended the eight-hour day to many nongovernmental employees.

Posted by Lise Bang-Jensen

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