Last week, many workers had six consecutive working days. However, Monday, November 17, will be a day off for them. It is already known that next year there will also be two transferred working days. What are the advantages and risks of transferring working days?
After Saturday, November 8, which was declared a working day, numerous posts appeared on social media where authors admitted that working six days in a row is tough, writes Otkrito.lv. Students were also unhappy about classes on Saturday. However, the Ministry of Welfare, which is responsible for the transfer of working days, reported that they had not received complaints about the changed calendar of working and non-working days. Ministry representative Egils Zariņš emphasized that the transferred working days are mandatory only for state institutions, reports LSM.lv.
"The Cabinet of Ministers cannot dictate to the private sector when to work. For municipal institutions, this is also a recommendation. But, let’s be objective — there is no doubt that most, especially non-private structures, adapt and follow this recommendation," said the ministry representative.
For example, schools established by municipalities or private ones could operate according to the regular calendar. But in most cases, municipal institutions reflect the practice of state governance and follow the same rules, noted Zariņš.
Explaining the reasons for transferring working days, he said: "Sometimes, if we don’t transfer, it turns out worse. For example, weekends — Saturday and Sunday — then one working day, and then Ligo and Jāņi. People would have to specially return for one working day. This creates a burden on infrastructure, risks on the roads, confusion. Therefore, it is more practical to transfer this one working day."
Board member of the Latvian Chamber of Commerce and Industry (LTRK) Jānis Lielpēteris noted that transferred working days are less productive, but a single working day between weekends would also not be very effective.
Entrepreneurs take into account the government’s recommendations on transferring working days if it allows for the specifics of their activities.
"First of all — those enterprises whose work is closely related to state institutions. If they have to frequently contact government structures, such companies orient themselves to the schedule of the public sector and adapt their work to it. But there are also enterprises that operate autonomously, and for them, the main thing is not the calendar of state institutions, but the availability of clients," explained the LTRK representative.
For example, stores usually do not change their schedule or change it minimally, as the main flow of clients is on weekends. Those enterprises that operate in the international market do not pay attention to the government’s decisions on transferring working days — Latvian holidays do not affect their clients and partners. LTRK believes that there have been too many transfers of holidays and working days. Lielpēteris found it difficult to speak about the impact of transferring working days on the economy, but he stated that there is undoubtedly an impact. He suggests not transferring working days in one of the years and then comparing the effect.
But not only private businesses sometimes operate according to the regular calendar. The Eastern Clinical University Hospital in Riga provides scheduled outpatient services without considering the transfer of working days. Therefore, the clinic was closed on November 8 and will operate tomorrow like any other Monday.
The hospital explained that patients schedule visits sometimes a year in advance. Transferring a working day would create confusion, canceled appointments, longer queues, and serious inconveniences. Care director Inese Budzila noted that the inpatient department and administration usually also do not take transferred weekends into account. "To provide a service to a patient, everyone really needs to work in coordination. We cannot leave patients without medication for four to five days or not respond to emergencies. If someone is resting at that moment, we simply will not be able to do our work," said Budzila.
It is known that on January 2 and June 22, 2026, will be transferred working days.
