China: Companies encouraged to offer extended weekends

A number of companies in the Jiangxi and Shanxi provinces of China have been considering the introduction of a 2.5 day weekend, with a half-day on Fridays. Their lead has come from the General Office of the State Council that published a policy document last year containing the extended weekend proposal. This has been taken up by several cities, including Ji’an and Jinzhong, for their own council employees. Private sector employers are not obliged to follow suit, but if they do so may adjust working time elsewhere in their employees’ work schedules.

Return to all news stories