State employees being furloughed to help cover a budget shortfall would get several three- and four-day weekends around government holidays, a Richardson administration draft proposal shows.

The closing of state government around Christmas, New Year's and other holidays also would mean those seeking government services would be left without them for long weekends.

Cabinet secretaries are working with the State Personnel Office on the proposal, which is among steps Gov. Bill Richardson announced last week to whittle the state deficit.

The unpaid time off for workers in executive branch agencies is expected to save the state $10.8 million. It wouldn't apply to courts, public schools, colleges or the Legislature.

Thousands of employees are being forced to take five days off between now and the end of this fiscal year in June.

The plan includes the following furlough days for all state employees except "critical public safety and welfare positions."

• Thursday, Dec. 24, 2009 (Friday, Dec. 25 is Christmas)
• Thursday, Dec. 31, 2009 (Friday, Jan. 1 is New Year's)
• Friday, Jan. 15, 2010 (Monday, Jan. 18 is Martin Luther King Day)
• Friday, April 2, 2010 (Good Friday, for which employees already can take four hours of administrative leave off)
• Friday, May 28, 2010 (Monday, May 31 is Memorial Day)

Richardson outlined the furlough plan Monday during a meeting with his cabinet secretaries that run administration agencies. The plan could be revised before it goes before the State Personnel Board for consideration on Dec. 16.

Already, some union members have said they don't like the plan, in part because it means two smaller-than-usual paychecks near the holidays.

Contact Kate Nash at 986-3036 or knash@sfnewmexican.com. Read her blog at www.greenchilechatter.com