Dear Colleagues,

Five-day Week in the Civil Service

The Chief Executive has decided to set up a working group to examine the proposal and implementation details of introducing a five-day week in the civil service with effect from 1 July 2006.  I am writing to keep you abreast of this initiative.

It is our established policy to promote flexible working hours within the civil service.  For example, the majority of the offices open 51/2 days a week with staff working alternate Saturdays.  Five-day week in the civil service is a further step to allow staff more flexibility to attend to personal and family matters while safeguarding the overall provision and quality of public services. 

In pursuing this initiative, it is of primary importance to ensure that we maintain the standard and quality of our service to the public and the efficiency of our civil service.  The implementation of five-day week in the civil service will be governed by the following basic principles -

* no additional staffing resources;
* no reduction in the conditioned hours of service of individual staff;
* no reduction in emergency services; and
* while in general all offices will cease operation on Saturdays, a limited number of essential counter services may continue to be provided on Saturdays.

A working group, comprising representatives of the Civil Service Bureau, the Treasury Branch of the Financial Services and the Treasury Bureau, and the Efficiency Unit, will look into the operational and staffing arrangements required to support this initiative.  The working group will shortly invite Heads of Department to identify the essential services for continued operation on Saturdays and to draw up appropriate implementation plans with a view to implementing this new measure on 1 July 2006.  You will be consulted through the established departmental consultative channels on the proposals.  

The working group will address any problems identified in the planning process and report progress to the Chief Secretary for Administration.  We shall consult the staff sides of the central consultative councils on the new work pattern. 

We believe that the introduction of five-day week in the civil service will boost staff morale, improve work life balance, promote social harmony, and bring about a positive impact on consumer spending and economic development. 

I am confident that you will support this worthwhile initiative and help implement it on schedule.

Yours sincerely,

(Joseph W P Wong)
Secretary for the Civil Service