Hey, Utah made the headlines . . . Soaring energy costs has prompted the Utah state government to announce it is moving to a four-day workweek, making it the first state in the nation to do so and perhaps signalling the start of a wider trend. Gas prices racing past $4 a gallon has creating an unprecedented financial burden on many workers. Similarly electricity and natural gas costs continue to rise making it ever more expensive to keep the lights and machinery on and office buildings heated or air-conditioned.

On June 26, Utah Gov. Jon Huntsman announced the Working 4 Utah initiative. Beginning in August, state government service hours will be extended from 7 a.m. to 6 p.m. Monday through Thursday. State administrative offices will be closed on Fridays, with the exception of essential public services.

“We live in a dynamic, ever-changing environment and it’s crucial that we take a serious look at how we can adapt and maintain our state’s unparalleled quality of life,” said Huntsman in a statement about the program.

Huntsman’s office estimates that 1,000 of 3,000 state buildings will be closed on Fridays, cutting energy costs by about 20 percent.

It’s only a matter of time before other state governments follow in Utah’s footsteps, says Susan Seitel, president of WFC Resources, a Minnetonka, Minnesota-based consulting firm.

“Minnesota is looking at this too,” she says. “This is absolutely the beginning of a trend.”

Many state governments, as well as companies, recognize that moving to a four-day workweek not only helps save energy costs but also appeals to younger workers, she says.

“It solves so many problems—it reduces the carbon footprint, saves on commuting costs, makes companies look more responsible and gives people more flexibility,” Seitel says.

Utah will evaluate the initiative for a year to allow for adjustments in the future.

Apparently, after decades of being an official workplace requirement for men, the tie seems close to death.  Once found in most offices, and a necessity for those working their way up the corporate ladder, skinny ties, fat ties, loud ties, and tasteful ties are now on the endangered list.  According to a Gallop Poll only 6% of men report wearing ties to work daily.  In fact even the tie’s trade group, the American Dress Furnishings Association, is shutting down.   Panty hose seems to be following a similar decline, although it’s not as close to extinction.  What are the ramifications of such radical changes?  Beyond the need for many organizations to change their dress codes to match what’s really happening, the old “which is worse, ties or panty hose argument” is no longer relevant.  There also seems to be a business opportunity for someone who can find another way for men to accessorize and look different.

Are you at an age where you have started receiving annual notices from the IRS informing you how much you can expect to receive in monthly benefits if you retire at age 62, 65, 70 etc.? If I remember correctly I started receiving these notices around the time I turned 40.

I am now at an age where I pay much more attention to these notifications than I did say 5 years ago. I am a tail-end baby boomer. The lead edge of baby boomers (born in 1945-50) are beginning to hit ages 60-65 and the majority are currently in the 50 to 60 year old age range.

Numbers tell the story:  In 2007, according to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, of 146 million people working full-time and part-time in the United States, only 13%, or 5.6 million, were age 65 and over. Of these about 20% or 1.1 million were still working full time.

More significant are the 36.4 million predominantly full-time workers currently between the ages of 50 and 64 – that’s GET THIS . . . one quarter of the U.S. workforce and growing. 1 out of 4 U.S workers is over the age of 50.

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