Recently, several provinces and municipalities such as Hebei, Jiangxi and Chongqing issued guidelines to encourage 2.5 days' weekly leave. 

What does 2.5 days' weekly leave mean exactly? The National Tourism Administration has clearly pointed out that under the premise of guaranteeing a 40-hour work week, working hours on Friday afternoon could be shifted to other working days so people could enjoy Friday afternoon plus the weekend off. It is not simply to reduce the working hours. 

This August, the General Office of the State Council issued a document on promoting tourism, which said that "local governments, enterprises and public institutions are encouraged to arrange work schedules so as to create favorable conditions for employees to have a vacation of Friday afternoon plus the weekend."

The 2.5 days' weekly leave has triggered hot debate, and some public institutions have already begun to implement the vacation system. Since this November, provinces or municipalities including Hebei, Jiangxi and Chongqing issued guidelines to encourage the 2.5 days' weekly leave policy.

Liu Simin, deputy secretary general of the Beijing Tourism Society, said that having 2.5 days' weekly leave will enrich the holiday system and satisfy people's need for short trips. The extended leave could be flexible—adjusted to fit situations in different enterprises and public institutions. It is a good plan to give employees more family time and also stimulate tourism.