With gas prices on the rise and carbon footprints becoming more politically important, many states have been trying to find ways to reduce the effects they are having on the planet and their wallets.

To give their workers some relief, several states have granted a four-day workweek option to their employees. Kentucky and South Carolina are two states that offer the compressed option for some of its state employees. New Mexico, Vermont, Arkansas, and Oklahoma are just a few of the states looking to make the change statewide.

The option eliminates the need to commute in and out of work one day a week, as employees work four 9-10 hour days as opposed to 5 eight-hour days.

Utah recently became the first state to make the four-day week mandatory for 80% of its state employees, or approximately four million people who will be able to cut down their commute by 10 weeks per year.

According to the US Census Bureau, the average commute to work is 32 miles roundtrip.  Using this figure and the average fuel economy of 20 mpg, Utah state workers will collectively save 333 million gallons of gas at a cost of $1.33 billion.  When wear and tear and vehicle maintenance is factored in, the savings for workers are even greater.  

One of the possible downsides of the new law is overworking people. A 10 hour work day is really long and while it may save gas, it might burn other things, like brain power. It also will have an impact on the availability of the departments and services run by the state.

Taxpayers will likely be unhappy about the DMV being even slower than before on days it is short-staffed.  However, the benefit of longer operating hours might compensate for sluggish service certain days of the week. 

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