Expert proposes "three-day weekend" to modernize the public sector

Meanwhile, the former Secretary-General of the Ministry of Public Sector Development and expert in public administration and policy, Dr. Abdullah Mohammed Al-Qudah, presented a proposal to adopt a four-day government work week in exchange for a three-day weekend, as it is worthy of study within the public administration modernization path, provided it is implemented according to an integrated vision that focuses on productivity and results, rather than the number of attendance hours.

Al-Qudah said in his interview with "Alrai" that the proposal is not limited to reducing a working day, but requires reorganizing time, resources, and government operations, and employing technology to improve services, in a way that achieves a better balance for the employee without compromising the citizen's right to receive service efficiently and continuously.

He explained that the government performance standard must be linked to the volume of achievement, quality of service, and citizen satisfaction, not to the number of hours an employee spends at their desk. He called for re-engineering procedures, reducing unnecessary meetings and correspondence, simplifying transactions, and linking employee performance to measurable goals and indicators, such as the speed of completing transactions, the rate of adherence to specified deadlines, the level of service recipient satisfaction, and rates of errors and delays.

He stressed that implementing the proposal should not lead to increasing daily working hours or placing additional burdens on employees, but should be based on improving procedures, digitalization, and time management.

Al-Qudah pointed out that a longer weekend may contribute to reducing burnout and improving the balance between professional and family life, which reflects on focus and performance quality. It could also provide employees with more time to care for their families, acquire new skills, or engage in legitimate economic activities, such as agriculture and small family projects, in accordance with applicable legislation.

On the economic side, he believed that increasing the number of holidays could stimulate domestic tourism and the transport, restaurant, hotel, and entertainment sectors, especially if accompanied by affordable offers and suitable tourism programs. He explained that Jordan possesses diverse tourist sites, such as Aqaba, the Dead Sea, Petra, and Wadi Rum, in addition to archaeological and natural sites in the governorates.

He emphasized that stimulating domestic trips could distribute spending across various regions and support small projects, productive families, and rural establishments, but he noted that achieving these benefits depends on purchasing power, transport and accommodation costs, and the tourism sector's readiness to provide suitable services.

Al-Qudah expected that reducing the number of days commuting to work sites would contribute to alleviating traffic congestion and reducing fuel consumption and commuting expenses, in addition to reducing some operational costs in government buildings.

However, he called for measuring these effects practically, in light of the fact that schools, universities, and the private sector continue to operate on different work patterns.

He emphasized that digitalization represents a fundamental condition for the success of the proposal, through expanding electronic services, integrating databases, developing transaction and correspondence systems, and providing secure channels that allow citizens to submit and follow up on applications without visiting institutions in person.

He stressed the necessity of separating employee attendance hours from service availability hours, confirming that service continuity must be the foundation of any new government work model. This requires documented procedures, clear authorities, substitute employees, and systems that do not rely on a single person.

He explained that implementing a four-day work week does not mean closing all institutions on the same day, as a rotation system between employees can be adopted, especially in public service centers, high-demand departments, and technical and field services. As for the health, education, and public safety-related service sectors, they require special arrangements that ensure continued coverage and no decline in service levels.

He called for expanding flexible work in the private sector, including remote work in jobs where the nature of the work allows it, while measuring productivity and adherence to tasks. He also suggested studying the inclusion of flexible work as an optional criterion within sustainability standards in government tenders, without compromising technical efficiency, price, quality, and fair competition.

Al-Qudah called for implementing the proposal gradually through a time-bound trial that includes appropriate institutions and jobs, provided that its results are measured according to clear indicators, including transaction completion time, employee productivity, citizen satisfaction, complaint levels, operational and transport costs, and electronic service continuity.

He emphasized the importance of conducting an independent and transparent evaluation of the experiment, with the model being adjusted or certain jobs exempted if it leads to a decline in service levels or increased costs.

He said that the success of a four-day government work week is not measured by the employee getting an extra day off, but by the ability of institutions to provide better services, achieve higher productivity, reduce expenses, and improve quality of life, while maintaining citizens' rights and the continuity of public services.