KUALA LUMPUR: The Johor government’s proposal to change the public sector’s working hours to four-and-a-half days a week will not affect civil servants’ productivity, says the Congress of Unions of Employees in the Public and Civil Services (Cuepacs).
Cuepacs president Datuk Dr Adnan Mat said the move was in line with the government’s efforts to boost productivity and enhance public service delivery, particularly through the empowerment of digital services.
"The proposed change in the working hours should not be viewed negatively, as it has been implemented before. On Jan 1, 2023, the government, through the Employment Act 1955 (Amendment) 2022, reduced the weekly working hours from 48 to 45 hours.
"The reduction in working hours has not affected productivity across all sectors, including the public sector, as various measures have been put in place to ensure that productivity continues to improve,” he said in a statement on Friday (Nov 22).
Adnan said that through the organised processes and systems to be implemented in the future, Cuepacs was confident that shorter working hours would boost productivity, as employees would feel more motivated and appreciated.
In fact, he said that many developed countries have adopted shorter working hours without affecting workforce productivity, citing Iceland as an example, where the workweek was reduced from 40 hours to 35 hours.
"Employees can enjoy a healthier life and work without stress, resulting in higher productivity.
"This effort can indirectly create a better work-life balance for employees without affecting the productivity targets set by the employer,” Adnan said.
On Thursday (Nov 21), Johor Menteri Besar Datuk Onn Hafiz Ghazi, while tabling Johor Budget 2025, said that the state government was studying a proposal to change the public sector’s working hours to four and a half days a week, following the reintroduction of weekend holidays on Saturday and Sunday starting Jan 1, 2025.
Meanwhile, Adnan expressed confidence that the government would not make changes to the public sector’s working hours without carrying out a comprehensive study on it.
He also said that the government has initiated several strategies to enhance the quality of the public sector, focusing on human capital development, accelerating digitalisation, and emphasising good governance.
"Cuepacs is confident that the government’s digitalisation initiative, along with the public service reform agenda under the Malaysia Madani aspirations, will not affect the quality of service delivery to the people.
"All parties must be open to initiatives aimed at improving employees' quality of life so they can enjoy a better work-life balance. Employers should ensure that the implementation of these measures does not result in negative outcomes," he said. - Bernama
