According to FOX 13, for the first time in Utah’s history, Utah state employees are required to work from home Thursday due to poor air quality across the state. The Surge Remote Work Day is the first declared since the Utah legislature passed a law allowing state employees to work from home on poor air days. The state is also encouraging private companies to enact similar policies when the air quality is bad.
Utah Gov. Spencer Cox said this is a very effective way of keeping Utah’s air somewhat clean because “even just one day of remote work saves pounds of pollutants from being released to the atmosphere.”
About 8,600 state workers have been working remotely since the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic. Even as the pandemic ends, about half of those employees will remain virtual.
