Iranian Parliament Debates Potential Shift to Five-Day Work Week
Tehran, Iran – The Iranian Parliament (Majlis) is once again examining a bill proposing an extended two-day weekend for public sector employees. The legislation, which aims to reduce the official work week to five days without cutting total working hours, has been referred back to the Social Commission for further review and amendment.
The move follows an assessment by the High Supervisory Council, which raised constitutional concerns and warned that the proposal in its current form could obstruct the nation’s targeted 8% economic growth.
Bill Returned for Revision
The bill to increase weekend holidays was returned to the Social Commission after lawmakers identified conflicts with constitutional principles. The primary objection centered on a proposed reduction in weekly working hours, which the High Supervisory Council believes would create a significant barrier to achieving key economic development goals.
A Five-Day Week with Full Hours
A member of the Social Commission, Ahmad Fatemi, clarified the commission’s objective. He stated that the intent is not to reduce the total number of working hours but to condense them into a five-day framework. This would maintain national productivity while potentially improving work-life balance for public servants.
Fatemi emphasized that the proposed changes would apply exclusively to government institutions, leaving the private sector and trade guilds unaffected by the new schedule. He also stressed that the government should retain the authority to designate the specific second day of the weekend.
Choosing the Second Day: Thursday or Saturday?
Abbas Goudarzi, a spokesman for the parliament’s presiding board, provided context on the logistical debate. He noted that a previous proposal to designate Saturday as the second weekly holiday was rejected by the Guardian Council. This has led to the consideration of an alternative: Thursday.
Goudarzi highlighted that the discussion is part of a broader effort to optimize efficiency, pointing out that the effective working hours within Iran’s executive agencies currently fall below international standards.
Legal Challenges and Government Authority
Further complicating the matter, Ali Babaei-Karnami, the head of the Social Commission, stated that many past decisions regarding mid-week holidays made by governments have been contrary to law. He asserted that the concept of an informal “mid-week holiday” does not legally exist and that the government does not have the authority to arbitrarily declare days off.
According to Babaei-Karnami, current law provides no mandate for the government to reduce official working hours or implement unsanctioned holidays. The revised bill must therefore operate within a clear and unambiguous legal framework.