You would think we would be used to it by now. “Borrowed days” is the concept that’s been in use for quite a number of years; extending national holidays but making up for the lost time by turning a Saturday or Sunday into a working day.
The idea has both those in favour and against. Some note the economic benefits to the country as a whole. Others say the stimulus is unevenly balanced. Then there are the chronologically challenged who have just no idea what day it is.
Taking the pulse of the nation, The Nanjinger reached out this morning to a cross section of society. Being “one of those days”, we today reproduce a selection of the comments received. Surnames have been omitted to protect contributors from any kind of possible authoritarian retribution.
Spare a thought, first though, for those working in hospitality. Many had to work overtime during the holiday to cater to increased demand. They too have been working today to pay back the so-called borrowed days.
Nancy is a good example. “I should work 2 extra days before and after the Labour day holiday, and my company also arranged my business trip during the holiday on May 1st and 2nd, so I spent 4 extra working days for this short holiday. What a pity”, she said.
Candice is in entertainment and as such, works a 6-day week every week. She’s also not a fan of the present setup. “I can’t agree more to move the weekend to extend the holiday. Then I could have several days to make a travelling plan”.
Many people also find that the twisted calendar messes with their regular schedule. An anonymous respondent told us, “It messed up some of my plans, like can’t send my kids to the weekend cram school. In my opinion holiday is holiday and weekend is weekend, so I can get ahead of my plan and make my days more fulfilling”.
Then there was Alan, who said, “I have to reschedule everything that I was supposed to do on weekend”.
Alan is also among those who just want the whole thing scrapped. “Please cancel the days-off in lieu of rules for holiday. Even the holiday is adjusted to be shorter. As long as we have a 2 -day weekend, this is my bottom line”, he said.
Many of the people The Nanjinger talked to also told us they find it difficult to remember which day it is.
“I know today is Saturday because my daughter went to school unwillingly this morning (lol)”, said Nancy.
But others’ brains can handle the change quite easily. Lady in Suzhou told us, “Everyone is getting used to it and knew it long before”.
Others argue it’s a sacrifice worth making. And we should remember the original intention behind the idea was to keep the economy moving along at the breakneck pace the world is accustomed to seeing from China.
As a business owner, Vincent in Nanjing agrees. “I kind of support the way how it works now. Seems like we have a holiday each month and it will definitely bring the cost (staff salary) up a lot”, he said.
Vincent also recognises some cold-faced realities. “In order to have a better life in the short future for themselves or their children, people need to WORK to make things happen and yet, it is unrealistic to have a perfect life that you make enough money to support your family and meantime you are able to take as many days off as you wish”, he said.
And there was no shortage of suggestions as to what to do instead. Carrie told us, “It’s tiring and work efficiency becomes lower. I think it would be perfect if government can really extend Chinese holidays”.
Back in Suzhou, Lady said, “I propose that everyone has a certain amount of days to spend at any time in one year”.
Some would also prefer a more internationalised working calendar. “I would prefer paid leave and the exact date should be optional, which is still not very well popularised in China, I like long vacations, but everyone taking vacation at the same time leads to terrible experience in traffic, bookings, and everywhere”, said Rui.
Saving the most controversial for last, we finally asked whether people agree that moving weekends around to add extra days to holidays is, “the most ridiculous idea ever?”
“Totally agree. The long vacation gives us chances to spend more time with family and go on vacation. Our government should regard the holidays as a chance to stimulate economy and relieve civilians’ pressure, not to mess up their schedule and make them feel more exhausted…” (Nancy)
“Yes, especially now. U can tell that summer is coming, we need to work regularly and rest more!” (Alan)
“No. For people who are sure of their mission, it is not ridiculous. I can manage my time well.” (Lady)
“I wouldn’t say it ridiculous, not even close. This decision was not easy to make. And the policy has adjusted for several times. People have different needs. Some approve and some don’t. It’s natural in a nation’s development. It also shows that the country is trying to meet the needs of the people. I mean, with such a large population, every decision and policy is not easy.” (Nicole)
