OPM criticizes proposal for a compressed work week

The Office of Personnel Management opposes a proposal by House Majority Leader Steny Hoyer to create a four-day, 40-hour work week for federal employees.

A compressed schedule would hurt the government's ability to provide essential services and weaken national security, OPM acting Director Michael Hager wrote in a letter to the Maryland Democrat. Homeland security and intelligence operations, for instance, must run around the clock, Hager stated.

He also expressed concern that some employees could find the new hours burdensome. Many care for young children or aging adults, he said, making it difficult for them to work longer days. Others depend on mass transit or carpools, he noted.

"At a time when figures show the government is facing a major loss of workforce skills due to impending baby boomer retirements, OPM is working aggressively with other federal agencies to recruit and retain workers with critical skills," Hager wrote. "Forcing employees into a four-day work week could undermine those efforts."

Additionally, Hager noted that federal agencies already are using workplace flexibilities, including compressed schedules, when appropriate. He pointed to recent statistics that estimate more than 50 percent of the workforce has some type of flexible work arrangement.

"We strongly believe the current system is effective and is already helping federal employees reduce fuel consumption," he wrote.

OPM will continue to promote workforce flexibilities through Chief Human Capital Officers Council forums, managerial training on telework and an interactive Web site on the benefits of the alternative arrangement, Hager said.

"We believe each federal agency is in the best position to determine the extent to which it uses these flexibilities to achieve the optimum balance between employee flexibility and the agency's ability to effectively carry out its mission," the letter stated.

Hoyer recommended the compressed work week in an Aug. 4 letter to then-OPM Director Linda Springer. He said the new schedule would help reduce traffic congestion and gas consumption.

Stephanie Lundberg, a spokeswoman for the majority leader, said on Wednesday that OPM misinterpreted the four-day work week proposal by assuming it would be mandated for all federal employees. "While we appreciate OPM's timely response, we had hoped for a more thoughtful and constructive discussion about how the federal government can increase energy conservation, save tax dollars, and improve recruitment and retention through workforce flexibilities," she said.

An official response to OPM's letter is forthcoming, Lundberg added.