Last week, I talked about a push by some state politicians to encourage more telecommuting and perhaps four-day work weeks among state workers.  The Connecticut House Republicans have even discussed it on their blog, House Rules.  The union representing state workers has also discussed the proposals in detail on its blog as well.

The Hartford Courant chimed in over the weekend with an editorial that encouraged state legislators to "conserve hot air by working together".  But ultimately, I suspect both sides will sit down and work on some proposal to address the underlying issues present. 

What continues to be fascinating about this debate is that path that some other states have chosen to go.  Delaware Employment Law Blog has interesting piece about Utah that is, understandably, somewhat critical of the proposal.  Utah is going to a mandatory four-day work week.  DELB also notes that Ohio didn’t exactly have a great experience with four day workweeks before in a state experiment.  Will Utah’s experience be different?

Aaron Newton sees things differently. In his post entitled "The Four-Day Workweek", he outlines the environmental case for a four-day workweek. (H/T Pennsylvania Labor & Employment Blog.) He then provides 16 reasons why this is an idea whose time has come.  It’s a good primer on some of the issues related to a four-day work week. 

So what does the future hold? Using a trusty Magic 8-ball, the right answer to this issue is hazy.  For some employers, going to a four-day work week may make sense, but clearly for others, it won’t. 

But one thing is clear: The issue is not going away and it would be beneficial for the state to at least look at the issue further.