Significant number of civil servants yet to adopt five-day workweek

Nearly 25,000 civil servants have not transitioned to the five-day workweek (FDW), affecting key services including immigration control. According to a discussion paper from the Civil Service Bureau, presented to the Legislative Council panel on public service next Monday, the total strength of the civil service was about 165,900 as of September 30 last year.

Notably, about 85 percent of civil servants work under the FDW model, reflecting a 3 percentage point increase since 2022. 

The FDW initiative, implemented by the government since 2006, aims to improve the work-life balance of civil servants while ensuring public service quality and efficiency without imposing extra costs on taxpayers.

The document reveals that the government conducts a biennial survey to assess FDW implementation across various departments. 

However, about 24,800 civil servants -- around 15 percent -- remain on non-FDW schedules, particularly in critical roles such as immigration control, postal services, environmental hygiene, and law enforcement.

The bureau said that staff performing emergency and essential services maintain a non-FDW pattern to ensure public service continuity, including essential weekend services. 

Currently, five departments, encompassing about 4,100 non-FDW civil servants, are either undergoing or reviewing FDW trial schemes, which have generally proceeded smoothly. 

Upon completion, these departments will evaluate their effectiveness and may seek approval for formal FDW implementation if they meet established criteria.

The five departments involved are Food and Environmental Hygiene Department; Highways Department; Hong Kong Police Force; Leisure and Cultural Services Department, and Transport Department.

Also, the bureau noted the full implementation of revised leave deduction arrangements (LDA) for non-FDW civil servants. 

Since May 2023, these arrangements have limited leave deductions to five days for every continuous absence of seven calendar days, applicable to all departments that have not fully transitioned to FDW.

(Cheng Wong)