Furlough Fridays are no more for government workers

After two years of taking unpaid Fridays off, state and city government workers last month returned to a regular five-day work week.  June 24 was the last official "Furlough Friday" for government employees.

Government offices, schools and other public facilities were closed at least twice a month. The furloughs were instituted as a way to deal with budget deficits. The closures and the different furlough schedules among state and county offices left many Hawaii residents frustrated and confused.

Both civilians and government workers are looking forward to the return of a five-day week. Some workers will get extra days off in exchange for taking pay cuts. But offices will still be able to remain open.