The Johor government is evaluating a proposal to implement a four-and-a-half-day workweek for civil servants in the state. Menteri Besar Onn Hafiz Ghazi emphasized that such a change would depend on measurable improvements in civil service productivity and delivery, as reported by Sinar Harian.
If we see improvements, the state government will consider the proposal for changes to the working hours without reducing the total number of working hours for the public sector, Onn Hafiz stated during the tabling of the state budget.
However, Menteri Besar highlighted that the approval of Johor regent Tunku Ismail Sultan Iskandar would be necessary before proceeding with the proposal.
The idea of a four-and-a-half-day workweek surfaced following the recent decision to revert Johors weekends to Saturday and Sunday, starting January 1. This marks a change from the current Friday and Saturday weekend arrangement, introduced in 2014 to honor the significance of Friday prayers for Muslims and Islams status as the state religion.
In a related development, Onn Hafiz announced that the private sector would be required to extend Friday office breaks from the current one-and-a-half hours to two hours beginning in January 2025. This adjustment aims to provide Muslim employees more time to attend Friday prayers.
Source: FMT & Sinar Harian