EXCLUSIVE: Nonregular government workers to be given Summer holidays

July 26, 2019

Tokyo--Japan's National Personnel Authority is considering offering nonregular government workers summer holidays, under a system currently used only for regular national civil servants, Jiji Press learned Friday.

Such holidays would be treated separately from annual paid leave, as they are for regular workers.

The plan, designed to improve conditions for nonregular government workers, will be discussed in line with recommendations on the salaries of national civil servants in 2019, informed sources said. The proposals will be presented probably in early August.

The new system would take effect as early as summer next year.

Under the current system, only regular government workers can take summer holidays, for up to three days, between July and September.

If nonregular workers wish to take a vacation during summer, they need to use the annual paid leave that they get after six months of employment.

A 2017 survey by the agency on employment systems in the private sector found that of the 34,848 firms covered, 58.3 pct grant summer holidays to nonregular workers.

Of the total, 44.4 pct give such vacations to nonregular workers under the same conditions set for regular workers.

The agency will consider the number of summer holidays for nonregular government employees by analyzing the survey results. Jiji Press