On Monday, 111 state human resources employees will kick off a mandatory four-day workweek as part of a pilot project to determine whether closing offices for one more day makes a noticeable dent in soaring energy costs without cutting services to the public.

If the three-month pilot program proves successful, the four-day week could be instituted across the state system, which employs some 17,000 people on all islands, said Lt. Gov. James "Duke" Aiona.

"It would have a tremendous impact at that time," Aiona said, stressing that a statewide implementation would only move forward if the public services the state currently offers are maintained and workers favor the idea.

"This is an experiment," he added at a news conference yesterday.

The plan is getting praise from environmentalists, policymakers and many state employees, who see the four-day workweek as a way to help the environment and significantly decrease state energy costs. The state's electricity bill alone jumped 25 percent from 2005 to 2007 — to more than $100 million annually — and that was before crude oil prices reached this year's record territory.

But many also stressed that the shortened week is no silver bullet, and that there are downsides to working 10 hours a day, and only four days a week.

"For one, the rest of the world is on a five-day schedule," said Peter Rappa, an environmental review coordinator at the University of Hawai'i Environmental Center. "If the state government goes to four days, what about schools? If they don't (go to four days), people are still going to be dropping their kids off, so they'll still be on the road."

Still, Rappa said he supports the four-day workweek because though the overall benefits could be diminished if people still get into morning traffic on their day off or if state office buildings don't shut down completely on Fridays, the program would result in an overall cost savings. He also said the short week would boost morale.

'1 LESS DAY INTO TOWN'

Meanwhile, employees in the pilot project had largely good things to say about the plan.

"That's an extra day off for us, one less day I (have to) drive into town," said Dan Miyahira, a personnel management specialist with the Department of Human Resources Development who commutes from Kane'ohe. "One less day into town means I can do more errands on the day I'm off."

State workers in other departments also supported the four-day week.

"I would do it because I live far. I live on the North Shore, so it would (be) less driving," said Caroline Lorenzo, a secretary with the state Land Use Commission.

The pilot project comes as states and cities across the country are increasingly eyeing the four-day workweek as a viable option for cutting back on energy costs, gasoline use and traffic congestion, without cutting back on services for residents.

Utah recently became the first state to institute a four-day week across most of its system, taking more than 17,000 people — or 80 percent of the state workforce — off the road on Fridays. Several smaller cities nationally have also moved to the modified schedule, especially as government budgets shrink and the price of energy continues to rise.

CITY INTERESTED, TOO

Mayor Mufi Hannemann is also looking into the shortened week for some city workers, but it's unclear when changes would be made, if at all, said city spokesman Bill Brennan. He added that a decision on any new schedule would be based on the operational needs of each department.

Energy costs have skyrocketed in recent years largely because of jumps in oil prices, and government isn't immune from the cost increases. In fiscal year 2007, state agencies spent $117 million on electricity — a 25 percent increase from 2005, even though electricity consumption only increased 2.7 percent over the period, according to a state Department of Business, Economic Development and Tourism report.

The project, set to end Oct. 31, will affect 111 employees in the state Department of Human Resources Development, charged with recruiting and processing applications for state jobs. Marie Laderta, director of the department, said her employees overwhelmingly supported the four-day workweek. About 27, she said, had scheduling conflicts they needed to work out, such as needing to pick up a child after work.

Three employees who could not resolve scheduling issues will work from home on a four-day week.

The new workweek will mean the five stories the department occupies in the state office tower on Beretania Street, known as the Leiopapa A. Kamehameha Building, will be shuttered on Fridays. Laderta also said the air conditioning will continue to be shut off in the department's office at 4:30 p.m. daily, even though workers will stay until 6 p.m., because the air conditioning keeps the office too cold at times anyway.

During the pilot project, state departments will be measuring the cost savings of shutting down the offices one more day a week to see whether the benefit is significant enough to warrant a wide-scale implementation of the shortened week.

UNIONS WOULD HAVE SAY

If the plan is taken to more state departments, officials will have to work out the details with the Hawai'i Government Employees Association, which represents 27,000 state and county workers. The 111 employees affected by the pilot project are nonunionized, which is partly why the state is trying out the short week with them.

Randy Perreira, executive director of HGEA, said he supports the four-day week initiative, but added there are still some kinks to work out, such as scheduling problems among workers.

"The concern would be what to do with those people who have to leave work at a certain time to pick kids up from school ... or have a second job," he said.

He said the state and union already have agreements to allow for voluntary work schedule changes for employees in some departments who want to move to a four-day week. But making a short week mandatory is another thing altogether, he said.

"This is not a change we object to," he said. "It's just a question of accommodating employees."

Stephen Meder, a UH architecture professor who specializes in environmentally friendly design, said the four-day workweek will almost undoubtedly save electricity, not to mention reduce air pollution from cars and decrease traffic congestion (which could mean the people on the road will also save gas).

He said about 50 percent of energy costs from buildings in Hawai'i goes to air conditioning.

"If we look at taking people off the road, that's also a plus," Meder said.

He added that the shortened week should move forward in concert with other proposals to decrease energy use in public and commercial buildings, and transform the economy in the Islands into a more sustainable one.

Alfredo Lee, executive director of the Agribusiness Development Corporation in the state Department of Agriculture, commutes from Pearl City and said there are pros and cons to the four-day workweek. He pointed out "farming is seven days a week, no rest" — which means farmers served by his department could be affected by a four-day week.

"We're in agriculture, we service the industry, so (even) when we are doing five days, it's tough enough sometimes," he said. "After the weekend, we come back and a lot happened."

Still, he added, he wouldn't mind the extra day off.