KDSG to begin four-day working week from Dec. 1

Kaduna State Government has reduced work days for public servants to four days with effect from Dec. 1.

The government said the measure was designed to boost productivity, improve work-life balance and enable workers to have more time for their families, for rest and agricultural activities.

This is contained in a statement signed by Special Adviser to Gov. Nasir El-Rufai on Media and Communication, Mr Muyiwa Adekeye, on Monday.“The government will begin implementation of the transitional arrangements from 1st December 2021.‘’From that date, working hours for public servants are adjusted to 8am-5pm, Monday to Friday.‘’However, all public servants, other than those in schools and healthcare facilities, will work from home on Fridays,’’ the statement clarified.‘’This interim working arrangement will subsist until the government is ready to move to the next stage of the transition which will culminate in the four-day week across all MDAs in the state,’’ it added.

According to the statement, the government will give public servants access to digital devices and platforms to enable them work effectively from home.‘’Given the significant investments the state government is making in ICT, it will ensure that most of its automated services deliver the levels of performance required to give citizens seamless access.’’It added that ‘’senior officials are working on detailed guidelines to ensure that the  emergency services and the education and health systems in the state continue to deliver services 24 hours a day, seven days a week during the transition and beyond.’’

The statement stressed that the government would ensure that the required legal and regulatory framework were put in place by Jan. 2022.“This will also enable the organised private sector to engage with the process and agree a longer transition period to a four-day working week.’’According to the government, the new arrangement ‘’reflects lessons learnt from managing the COVID-19 pandemic, which required significant relaxations of old working traditions and the ascendance of virtual and remote working arrangements.’’ (NAN)