Not all can enjoy extra half-day off

THE GENERAL OFFICE of the State Council recently issued a document, "Several Decisions on Further Promoting Tourism-related Investment and Consumption", which urges employers to make vacation schedules more flexible for employees. The document asks employers to give a half-day off to employees on Fridays in summer to boost tourism, which has sparked a heated public discussion. Comment:

The document urges some sectors and institutions to devise and implement flexible vacation schedules for summer. Since the instructions are not mandatory, only a few people can enjoy two-and-half-day weekends in summer. Many people assume enterprises, especially private enterprises, will find it difficult to follow the instructions because they will compromise their economic interests. They believe only civil servants and public sector employees will benefit from the decision. Besides, some public facilities may not function on Friday afternoon.

Southern Metropolis Daily, Aug 12