'Make-up' work days cut to one, three long weekends scrapped in 2024

Taipei, May 25 (CNA) Taiwan will cut the number of "make-up" work days to just one in 2024, and the number of long weekends will be reduced from the seven granted in 2023 to just four, following complaints from the public over the number of six-day work weeks.

The Directorate-General of Personnel Administration (DGPA) on Thursday published the list of public holidays to be observed by government agencies in 2024. Overall, workers will be entitled to at least 115 days off work next year, one fewer than in 2023.

Private sector workers will also have the day off to mark Labor Day on May 1 under the Labor Standards Act and military personnel will have Armed Forces Day on Sept. 3 off work.

In 2024, the first long weekend will fall on Dec. 30 - Jan. 1 to mark the nation's founding day. The second will be the week-long Lunar New Year holiday on Feb. 8-14. A four-day holiday to mark Children's Day and Tomb Sweeping Day will take place on April 4-7 and the three-day Dragon Boat Festival holiday will take place on June 8-10.

The only "make-up" work day will fall on Feb. 17, which is a Saturday, following the Lunar New Year break.

Meanwhile, the Cabinet meeting on Thursday adopted new rules regarding "make up" work days to address complaints from the public over the number of six-day work weeks.

According to the new rules, "make up" days will only be scheduled for Lunar New Year's Eve and Children's Day and Tomb Sweeping Day.

The DGPA says there will be only one "make-up" work day every year for the next five years, except for 2026 when there will be no adjusted holiday and thus no "make-up" work day.