Nova Scotia considers four-day week for public employees

NSGEU ready to negotiate but uncertain about workers in all sectors of government changing to 10-hour days

Halifax (4 Aug. 2008) - The Nova Scotia government says it is considering a four-day work week for public employees to cut energy costs and reduce greenhouse gas emissions. If implemented, employees would compress five days of work into four days each week and receive the same rates of pay they do now.

The province's biggest union, the Nova Scotia Government and General Employees Union (NSGEU/NUPGE), says it is ready to discuss the idea but it has reservations about the impact of imposing uniform 10-hour days on workers across the system.

"It’s something that’s easier said than done," says NSGEU president Joan Jessome. "I don’t know if everybody’s lifestyle can accommodate working 10 hours a day versus seven."

Energy Minister Robert Hurlburt told reporters he is looking at the idea as a way to cope with rising energy costs and growing environmental concerns.

"We have very aggressive targets here in the province for greenhouse gas emissions," he told reporters following a cabinet meeting. "We’re looking at all options. . . . We’re going to do an analysis on this and see if the benefits outweigh the costs."

Hurlburt emphasized that it will take time to study the issue and come to a decision.

"There are so many issues here that you have to look at," he said. "There’s private industries, private businesses, unions that you have to talk to.... You just can’t say, ‘We’re going to start this tomorrow.’"

Keeping government open only four days a week would cut both heating and air-conditioning costs and reduce driving costs for both workers and the government, he said.

The province is committed to reducing current greenhouse gas emissions by 26% by 2020.

Nova Scotia is the first Canadian province to talk publicly about the idea but it has already been adopted in at least one other North American jurisdiction.

The state of Utah is launching a four-day work week pilot project for 17,000 state employees this month. Workers will continue to receive the same pay by working 40 hours a week from Monday to Thursday (10 hours a day) and taking Fridays off. NUPGE