State pardon and parole workers took to the Capitol early last week to protest their third furlough day.

Awww. Awww. Really. Awww.

Maybe they’re not paying attention, but state workers aren’t the only ones in Oklahoma being asked to take some unpaid time off of work so their employers can save enough money to stay in business.

News bulletin: The economy is tough all over.

But not only are the workers protesting their furlough days, they’re advocating the state dip into its rainy day fund so they don’t have to take any more time off work.

Let’s be perfectly clear here: We sympathize with workers who have to take days off without pay. We wish it didn’t have to happen, and we wish their employers could find some other way around it.

Most workers live paycheck-to-paycheck, and any unpaid time off can cause massive problems in their finances. So we’re not trying to be hard-nosed here.

But we are saying that the businesses that are doing the same or worse to their employees don’t have a rainy day fund to dip into.

We wish state workers didn’t have to make the tough economic decisions that come with losing a day’s pay or two, three or 10.

But the old adage “join the club” comes to mind.

The rainy day fund should be used for vital services during emergencies, not just to shore up every budget shortfall.

Utah has gone to a four-day work-week for its employees, working them 10 hours a day and giving them three days off to save energy and thus expenses. The workers love it.

Maybe Oklahoma can look at a similar plan.

But dipping into the rainy day fund is dangerous and unwarranted.