Latvia Will Not Move Any Working Days Next Year as Public Opinion Splits
The Latvian government missed the deadline to decide on shifting working days in 2027, so no extended holiday breaks will be created around public holidays. Reactions on social media are divided.
No working day will be moved in Latvia next year, because the Cabinet of Ministers, the country's executive branch, did not adopt a decision by the set deadline. This was reported in the media on 9 November. As a result, working days around public holidays will stay as they are, and the longer breaks once created by shifting working days to Saturdays will not happen.
Moved working days have long been a debated topic: some people value the longer breaks, while others do not want to work on Saturdays. After the latest news, the public is split again.
Disappointment and support
On the platform X, one user expressed regret that ordinary workers will find it harder to plan a four-day break with their families and go on a trip. Some commenters, however, view the outcome positively. They argue the practice has not been successful, as people rarely use other institutions' services on such days, while employees often lack a full workload. It was also noted that private companies face extra complications organising work across two partial-workload days.
On the platform Threads, user ajurjans ironically thanked politician Andris Kulbergs for the absence of moved working days, but later clarified that the issue was not the shifting itself. In his view, the government failed to take any decision on a complex matter, either to move days or not.
Other views
Some participants in the discussion consider the cancellation the right decision and say everyone can plan their own leave. Others point out that people will find ways to get extra days off anyway, by taking annual leave or agreeing on remote work. Some residents also expressed regret over the arrangement of the Christmas holidays, saying they would have liked a longer break during the festive period.
