Zhang Yan, a manager at a Beijing consultancy company, normally works five days a week, but had to work for eight consecutive days after the three-day New Year's holiday that ended on Jan 3.

"It was really painful," she said. "All of my colleagues were reluctant to work after the holiday, knowing eight workdays lay ahead, and everyone was exhausted by the end.

"Such an arrangement is not very rational. My body clock is used to a five-day work schedule."

The extra-long week was not unique to Zhang's company. It was the same across the country after the General Office of the State Council announced the dates for major holidays for 2013 in December last year.

Most workers in China will have to work for seven consecutive days before or after the next three public holidays, this year, including the upcoming Spring Festival.

Chinese people receive a day off from work for most public holidays, including the New Year holiday. Exceptions are Spring Festival (Feb 9 to 11 this year) and the National Day holiday (Oct 1 to 3), each allowing three days off.

But the holiday is extended so people can have three to seven days off in a row. To compensate for the time, the preceding or following weekends become workdays.

This year's New Year's Day fell on Tuesday, so people had Jan 1 to 3 off, but worked the following weekend, Jan 5 and 6. This resulted in people working for eight straight days from Jan 4 to 11.

The setup has sparked complaints on the Internet.

"The arrangement is very strange and I would rather have no holidays than work for a whole week," said a netizen on Sina Weibo, a popular Twitter-like service.

According to a survey by China Youth Daily in December last year, more than 73 percent of the 2,068 people polled were not satisfied by the holiday arrangements for 2013.

About 60 percent said it made them exhausted before or after the holidays, and more than 45 percent said such an arrangement has disrupted their schedules.

Some experts questioned the legitimacy behind the arrangement.

Han Fuzheng, a lawyer at Jigang Law Firm in Shijiazhuang, Hebei province, said the arrangement is a violation of labor law, and is irrational as it disrupts workers' normal working habits.

"The current labor law stipulates a worker works for five days a week and should rest for at least one day a week," he said. "Adjustments may be made in special cases, but legal procedures should be applied before such decisions are made."

Han said he sent a letter to the General Office of the State Council, which issued the holiday dates on Dec 13, several days after the dates were published, to express his concern and urge it to revise the arrangements.

"I haven't received a reply yet," he said on Monday.

Xiao Fang, a professor of folklore at Beijing Normal University, said the government arranged the holidays as it did because it made short-trips possible, which helps stimulate consumption.

The practice of extending holidays started in 1999, when China extended the Spring Festival, Labor Day and National Day holidays into weeklong holidays to stimulate consumption.

Although long holidays have encouraged economic growth, other problems have occurred, such as overcrowding and soaring prices in popular scenic spots.

"I am not worried about working for seven days after a holiday as I can hold on," said Bai Chunmei, a clerk at a branch of China Merchants Bank in Shanghai.

"But it is so difficult to get a plane or train ticket during the holidays, and the hotel prices are always much higher than normal," she said.

"I really wish the holiday arrangements can be made more flexible or I can have more paid annual leave so I can choose which days I can take off," she said.

All employees in China are qualified to get at least five-days' paid annual leave as long as they have worked at a company for more than one year, according to Chinese law.

But such a policy is not well implemented, according to media reports.

According to a survey by China Youth Daily last year, which polled 3,913 people, 41 percent of them said they had not enjoyed any paid annual leave.

Zhang Chengdong, secretary-general of Jiangsu Festivals and Events Association, said although more paid annual leave can effectively ease the burden of long holidays, the law has allowed enough holidays for most Chinese people.

"It is very difficult to meet the needs of all people," he said. "More affluent people may want more holidays. But many immigrant workers, including those getting a daily salary, may prefer to work more to earn more money."

"The length of a country's holidays is closely related to its economic and social development," he said. "I think Chinese people will get more holidays as society becomes more affluent."

wangxiaodong@chinadaily.com.cn

(China Daily 01/22/2013 page4)