Civil servants and State employees will enjoy four days off work during the upcoming New Year celebrations, in addition to nine days off in mid-February for the Lunar New Year festival, known as Tet, following an approval by Prime Minister Nguyen Tan Dung.

Prime Minister Nguyen Tan Dung has approved the measure at the request of the Ministry of Labour, Invalids and Social Affairs.

Usually employees have January 1 off, and five days off during Tet, not including weekends. However, as the first day of 2015 falls on a Thursday, the ministry proposed January 2 also be given as a day off and the Saturday of December 27 be scheduled as a regular working day to compensate. This will enable workers to enjoy the new year with a four day weekend from January 1-4, 2015.

The dates for Tet work in a similar way this year, and the ministry suggested that a day off be given on Monday February 16 to create another long holiday. They will make up for the day off on Saturday February 14.

The adjustments have been made in order to give people more time for travelling and celebration which will boost the economy; as well as to reduce traffic jams and accidents, and ease the burden on public transportation in large cities when people return to their hometowns to celebrate the festival.

In addition, the holiday on the anniversary of the death of the Hung Kings, National Reunification Day on April 30 and the International Workers’ Day on May 1 will last for six days from April 28 to May 3, 2015. In return, state employees will be required to work on Saturday (April 25, 2015) for the Wednesday (April 29, 2015) vacation day.

Nhan Dan/VNN