ISLAMABAD – A four-day working week appeared to become latest decision overnight, but on social media. A notification claiming Friday to Sunday as holidays quickly spread online, leaving many wondering if the policy had actually been approved. But there was a catch: the notification was fake.
A notification circulating online that purportedly announces a four-day working week has been declared fake by the Ministry of Information and Broadcasting’s Fact Checker.
The document is being shared as an official Cabinet Division order and claims that government offices will operate only from Monday to Thursday. It further states that Friday through Sunday will be observed as holidays. The document also refers to an earlier notification allegedly issued on September 15.
However, the Ministry’s Fact Checker has rejected the document and clarified that no official notification introducing a four-day working week has been issued. Reports circulating on social media should therefore not be treated as confirmation of a government decision.
The confusion appears to have been amplified by separate reports about a possible reduction in the working week amid rising fuel prices and increasing operating costs.
A four-day schedule has reportedly been under consideration as part of measures aimed at reducing fuel consumption, commuting and transportation costs, electricity usage and other operational expenses. The reported discussions could involve government offices, private-sector workplaces and educational institutions.
Possible arrangements mentioned in reports include a four-day operating schedule, remote working for some employees and staggered duty arrangements. However, these remain proposals rather than an implemented government policy.
Departments may be examining possible arrangements, but the final working schedule and implementation mechanism have not been formally settled. Any nationwide or institutional change to working days would require an official government notification.
Another claim circulating alongside the four-day-week story concerns an alleged “smart lockdown” in Islamabad.
The viral four-day working week notification is fake. There is a distinction between reports that officials are examining possible measures to reduce fuel and operating costs and an actual government order changing the official working week.
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