Seventh Pay Commission Likely To Abolish Gazetted Holidays

Seventh Pay Commission Likely To Abolish Gazetted Holidays

New Delhi: The Seventh Pay Commission is expected to reward the central government
 by its recommendation on abolishing 18 days gazetted holidays and to provide
three days national holidays to central government employees to reform the work culture
in central government offices.

Pay commission sources said the number of holidays should come down to improve
 work culture.

The sources also added, “A survey has revealed that India has the highest number
 of gazetted holidays per year and close on her heels are her Asian neighbours like
 Philippines, China, Hong Kong, Malaysia. We need to cut down on holidays to facilitate
 more work culture.”

The sources argued that the government offices worked only for 196 days in India
 in a year. Besides, whenever there was election, the government servants were
pressed into election work. This affected the routine government business, sources
contended.

Earlier, the sixth central pay commission recommended that central government
 offices should remain closed only on three national holidays (Republic Day,
 Independence Day and Mahatma Gandhi Jayanti) and all other gazetted holidays
should be abolished and the number of restricted holidays (optional) depending
 on one’s religious persuasion should be increased from two to eight days.

The Seventh Central Pay Commission is also likely to make suggestion for flexible
work hours for women and employees with disabilities.

Flexible working gives them greater choice over when and where they work,
llowing them to better manage their work-life balance

“As flexi working hours will allow women central government employees
 to strike a balance between her professional and family responsibility, maintain
healthy lifestyles and contribute to parenting well, it is recommended for the same 
and urge upon the government to work out the modalities in this direction,” the pay
panel source said.

“Flexible working can also provide central government employees with disabilities
 with a ‘bridge’ into retirement. Many of surveys show that often the complete
loss of professional work account of disability can leave employees with disabilities
 feeling depressed and unmotivated, even to the point of affecting mental health
. Flexible working time can help employees with disabilities delay retirement
 without giving up too much of their hard-earned freedom.” said an official.

//copy// TST