Be careful about cutting holidays

Slovakian media are currently debating whether the country has too many holidays. The leftist daily Pravda writes that the question should not be answered solely on the basis of economic considerations: "Slovakia has 15 state holidays. The call to change this always comes when one economist or another states grimly to the cameras what an impact these holidays have on our GDP. ... It's true that we work significantly less than our forefathers, but we are also significantly more productive. Having Saturdays off and the 5-day work week is now taken for granted. But it's not the number of working days that are important, but the number of hours we work. With our 1,749 hours per year, we're right in the midfield. The Koreans work 2,193 hours, the Germans only 1,408. Whether we slash some hours or add more shouldn't depend on the economy, but on the meaning a holiday has for our national identity."

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