In mid-August, with the burden of increasing gas prices squeezing the budgets of commuters throughout the region, Congressman Steny H. Hoyer (D-MD) called on the Office of Personnel Management (OPM) to limit unnecessary commuting by urging federal agencies to adopt a four-day, 40-hour work week for their employees.

The policy, which has been implemented by local and state governments across the nation, would make the federal government a partner in reducing petroleum consumption - a key factor in the recent decline in gas prices. The compressed work week would also cut down on commuting costs for federal workers, as well as all commuters who would benefit from the decrease in traffic congestion.

To that proposal, OPM has said nearly unequivocally "no way." In an August 29th letter to Rep. Hoyer, acting OPM Director Michael Hager stated that the four-day workweek would hamper the government's ability to deliver essential services to the public, weaken national security safeguards, and hurt recruitment and retention efforts, Federal Times reports.

Hager went on to point out that agencies already offer flexible and compressed work schedules that would grant a four-day workweek every two weeks for employees that take advantage of the program, assuming their supervisor allows it. 

"We strongly believe the current system is effective and is already helping federal employees reduce fuel consumption," Hager said in his letter to Hoyer.

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