BENGALURU: In what comes as a cheer to state government employees, the state cabinet on Thursday decided to declare every 4th Saturday as a holiday. This comes in addition to the second Saturday offs that employees already have.
While the cabinet is yet to decide on when the new calendar will come into effect, it is likely to be implemented only from next year since this year’s list of government holidays has been published.
As a balancing measure, the cabinet slashed casual leaves from the existing 15 to 10 per year.
Despite the cutting down of leaves, the state government employees will get an additional seven days holiday in a year after the cabinet’s decision is implemented. No changes will be made to existing holidays for Jayantis or marked festivals.
Social Welfare Minister Priyank Kharge in August 2018 had written to the Chief Minister proposing a five-day work week to state government employees to increase productivity. While he also suggested avoiding closed holidays on Jayantis and availing optional holidays for festivals depending on employee’s discretion, the government seems to have considered a five-day work week for two out of four weeks in a
month.