Utah Government's 4 Day Work Week Saved Money - But Not The Way They Thought

Utah's State Government switched to a 4 day work week (four 10-hour days vs. five 8-hour days) when gas prices were at the peak.  They thought they would save $3 million a year through less spending on energy (less gas for government vehicles, being able to shut down buildings, etc.) The program just finished its first year. Gas and energy costs dropped since then, and they only saved $502,000 from energy savings.  About 1/6 of what they expected.  They also saved $200,000 on janitorial expenses. But - as an unexpected surprise - they saved a whopping $4.1 million on overtime!  It turns out that working 10 hours in a day allowed employees to get things done and, after 10 hours, they wanted to go home. From this data and feedback from employees, it looks like a four day work-week is very productive and a good work-life balance.