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Gov't officially asks local authorities, business lobbies to extend New Year holiday

24 Comments

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24 Comments
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Great idea let's do this!

3 ( +8 / -5 )

If the holiday gets stretched to the 11th for everybody, we still get the same rush. Perhaps they should encourage companies to stagger starts and ends of holidays and be flexible.

Factories might not be able to stagger as easily as say, ad agencies, but the more flexibility the better.

(and the more holidays!)

9 ( +12 / -3 )

Bad news for Japan's army of part time and contract workers, but of course, the J government doesn't give a damn about them.

18 ( +20 / -2 )

If the holiday gets stretched to the 11th for everybody, we still get the same rush.

Probably not. They extended Golden Week last year for the new Emperor's thing, and traffic was significantly diluted for those 10 days. A lot of people complained about having too much time off though, which is as quaintly Japanese as you can get.

Perhaps the Govt could do the same again by throwing in a couple of temporary national holidays after Jan 4th and forcing the isssue?

6 ( +8 / -2 )

They also need to tell the companies to reduce employees' workload by a commensurate amount. Otherwise, regular workers will be forced to do the same workload in fewer days. So say hello to 18 hour work days. The lead up to shogatsu is already hectic (and exploitative) enough.

Meanwhile, contracted free-lance people, like me, will see a reduction in income as our potential work hours are reduced. Thanks, govt!

7 ( +8 / -1 )

Please give subsidy to those company close till Jan11.

And offer cash support who work part time.

There will be no question.

4 ( +5 / -1 )

When decision by Gov't.

So, responsibility also goes to Gov't.

1 ( +2 / -1 )

I thought it was a bad idea when it was first suggested and I still think so. What about all the non-regular and temp workers? Sales staff who depend on commission will lose four days. Factories, building security, service and maintence companies, retailers, restaurants, transport...the list of industries that can't stop for that length of time goes on. Then there are clinics, etc.

And what about schools? They definitely can't take an extra week off.

Dumb idea.

4 ( +5 / -1 )

Households spend more when holidays are extended? That is in fact bare of any logic. Or is everyone paid triple for doing nothing during that time? I have some doubts with that. lol

-2 ( +1 / -3 )

'Cause we all know when you make it voluntary and ask companies to do something, they quickly do. Now, not at all taking into account what this will do to part-time workers, are they also asking for school holidays to be extended? Because in many cases they are shorter than usual this year due to Corona.

4 ( +5 / -1 )

Yeah, this isn’t going to happen....

6 ( +6 / -0 )

"Households spend more when they have days off before and after the year-end and New Year holidays," said Nishimura,

Is this about preventing the spread of Civid or stimulating the rural economies?

You can't really have both.

gary

1 ( +1 / -0 )

Bad news for Japan's army of part time and contract workers, but of course, the J government doesn't give a damn about them.

I think you mean only recently hired contract employees. Part time workers in the service industry like restaurants and bars, ard probably hoping for this. More national holidays means more spending by consumers, which means more work for them.

-2 ( +0 / -2 )

Stop commanding when and how long to rest or work. Such wouldn't work well on holiday crowds as many people are still conformist, likely to behave en masse. while there are also seasonal workers who aim to make money during this period, the measure could deprive them of livelihood. Let individuals take (paid) holidays freely.

1 ( +1 / -0 )

No problem. Some companies are "giving" long-term employees "voluntary" early retirement just in time for the winter holidays, after which the hiring activities will be nearly zero until... whenever. Oh, and Hello Work! will be closed so applications for unemployment will be impossible. Thanks!

1 ( +1 / -0 )

Why can't they simply make a new National Holiday... ?

0 ( +1 / -1 )

Are they joking?

I don’t work and I don’t get any money!!!

1 ( +1 / -0 )

If they expect me to stay home without earning money, they can sod right off!

2 ( +3 / -1 )

So sorry for the many employees under a contract who depend on working and get paid only if they work. They have NO benefits like paid time off for such requests will the companies of the contract employees be renegotiated to include paid time off like real employees of a company do? NOPE.

2 ( +2 / -0 )

For the love of (my) sanity NO! I think it would be best to cancel the New Year holiday completely. For ever.

1 ( +1 / -0 )

How about not do this and allow people to make their own vacation decisions. Why shut down a whole country and force people to crowd in popular places.

1 ( +1 / -0 )

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