Will 'Sundays off' reenter Israel's national agenda?

• Author: ZEV STUB
• Published date: 15 June 2021
• Date: 15 June 2021
• Publication title: Jerusalem Post, The: Web Edition Articles (Israel)

While Western countries around the world work Monday through Friday, with Saturday and Sunday off, Israel's work week is Sunday through Thursday, with Friday officially set as a half-day of work for bureaucratic purposes. Over the years, there have been various initiatives to make Israel's week look more like that of other countries, to no avail.

Besides adapting Israel's schedule to international standards, Sundays off brings up questions relating to Israelis' leisure time. Israelis enjoy fewer vacation days than most OECD countries. With just 12 paid vacation days for a worker mandated by law (many get more), and nine paid public holidays, Israelis get far fewer days to relax than most. That has a cost for individuals and families, and possibly also for businesses: Israel's work productivity outside of the hi-tech sector is among the lowest in the world.

In 2016, the proposal was put forward to make one Sunday per month a day...