"Has public service suffered with state offices being closed on Fridays?" Rep. Neil Hansen, D-Ogden, wanted to know.
"We are measuring that," responded Jeff Herring, executive director for the state Department of Human Resource Management. "The DMV is the litmus test as far as face-to-face transactions."
Hansen serves on the Government Operations Interim Committee, where members Wednesday heard a presentation on Gov. Jon Huntsman Jr.'s 10-hour, four-day work schedule.
The new policy, established by executive order, took effect Aug. 4 and means that state employees work Monday through Thursday from 7 a.m. to 6 p.m. On Friday, offices go dark, including the Department of Motor Vehicles and the Driver License Division. The state expects to save about 20 percent, or $3 million, in energy costs.
House Budget Chairman Ron Bigelow, R-West Valley City, asked if employee productivity is affected by the shift in schedule.
Ongoing benchmarks will reveal that answer, Herring said. However, he expects a morale boost because employees have an extra day off to recharge.
Rep. Lori Fowlke, R-Orem, asked the question that several legislators had on their minds.
"Is there any reason why the governor decided not to include the Legislature?"
Herring responded that "We did the job that needed to be done to measure the program's success" - by establishing metrics and benchmarks to monitor the pilot project through the year.
Elsewhere on Capitol Hill, the Senate Republican Caucus discussed the issue behind closed doors.
"I think there is a general concern but I don't know that it rises to the level of taking legislative action at this point," Senate Majority Leader Curt Bramble said afterward. "The highest concern voiced by many senators was the level of service to the citizens of the state."
cmckitrick@sltrib.com
Survey, Web
* The Governor's Office of Planning and Budget plans to conduct three employee opinion surveys during the program's first year of implementation. No public surveys are currently planned.
* For more information on online government services, call 801-538-1808 or go to the Web site www.utah.gov/governor/offices/extend-hours-service.html
