Public institutions in Syria are moving to implement a decision to increase daily official working hours by one hour, starting from early December next year, in a step aimed at improving the completion of transactions and productivity. The General Secretariat of the Presidency issued the decision on November 2, making the working hours from 8:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m.
The General Secretariat clarified that the objective of the increase is to allow more time for completing work and improving coordination, emphasizing that the decision does not necessarily imply a weakness in employee performance. It is expected that the extra hour will contribute to increasing the capacity to complete transactions and reducing waiting times, with the extent of improvement varying according to the nature of each institution and its services.
For his part, economic expert Abdul Karim Al-Naam believes that increasing working hours can contribute to improving the utilization of government resources and raising productivity levels, especially in sectors with a productive nature. He pointed out that the success of this step depends on the ability of institutions to utilize the additional time efficiently, so that the increase in working hours is accompanied by a real improvement in the volume and quality of services.
Al-Naam added that the extra hour may provide a wider time space for completing transactions, but he warned of the need to consider additional operational costs, so that the increase in the volume of services is proportional to the increase in expenditure. He stressed the necessity of calculating the impact of increasing working hours, especially transportation, food, energy costs, and family commitments.
For his part, academic and social researcher Hamdan Al-Aqila drew attention to the social dimension of the decision, noting that increasing daily working hours may affect the family life of employees, especially in light of their family responsibilities. He warned that longer working hours may affect psychological state and job satisfaction levels, explaining that the widening gap between rising transportation and energy costs and weak job returns may turn the job from a source of stability into a psychological burden.
The General Secretariat emphasizes that workers' rights regarding salaries, compensations, breaks, and leaves remain subject to prevailing legislation, pointing to the possibility of addressing special cases through flexible administrative arrangements. The General Secretariat places periodic evaluation at the core of implementing the decision, proposing an initial review after three months to measure its impact on productivity and service quality.
In the same context, Al-Naam called for adopting clear indicators including the number of completed transactions, speed of service delivery, operational costs, employee productivity, and citizen satisfaction levels. As for Al-Aqila, he believes that achieving balance requires social and practical measures, such as adopting more flexible working patterns and establishing special arrangements for mothers and those with care responsibilities.
Source: Syrian Arab News Agency (SANA)
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