46
Five-day working week
Following is a question by the Hon Steven Poon and a written reply by the acting Secretary for Civil Service, Mr Chris Jackson, in the Legislative Council today (Wednesday):
Question:
Regarding the feasibility of implementing a five-day working week, will the Government inform this Council whether:
(a)
(b)
(c)
(d)
it has conducted any study on the feasibility of implementing a five day working week in Government departments over the past 20 years; if so, what was the rationale behind its decision of maintaining a five-and-a- half-day working week;
it is still necessary for Government departments to maintain a five-and- a-half-day working week, in view of the adoption of a five-day-working week in China, Japan, Australia, and countries in North America and Europe; if so, what the reasons are;
a study will be conducted to re-assess the possible effects of a five-day working week on the people's livelihood, economic activities, commerce and industry as well as government operations; and
it is aware of any major organisations in the territory currently adopting a five-day working week?
Reply:
Mr President,
My replies to the four questions raised are as follows:-
(a)
The Government has looked into the case of implementing a five-day working week in Government departments on various occasions in the past 20 years. (This issue was also discussed at a Legislative Council meeting in November 1979.) We believe that the working hours of the civil service should follow rather than lead the private sector and therefore the Government should continue to operate on five and a half days a week as long as the community it serves does so. That said, heads of departments may allow their staff to work on an alternate Saturday off system, provided that the required conditioned hours of work are not reduced. This system builds in a degree of flexibility for the civil servants while maintaining service to the public.