Refer China: City Pilots 2。5-Day Weekend ： Flexible 4。5-Day Workweek Begins?

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City Pilots 2.5-Day Weekend: Flexible 4.5-Day Workweek Begins?

A new era of flexible working has begun in Mianyang, Sichuan Province, as the local Commerce Bureau released the 2025 "Special Action Plan to Boost Consumption." Among its highlights: the trial implementation of a 4.5-day flexible workweek, effectively promoting a 2.5-day weekend for residents.

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The plan, detailed in an official work checklist, includes 29 targeted measures under seven core action categories aimed at stimulating consumer spending and enhancing market vitality. These core actions include: increasing urban and rural incomes, ensuring consumer capacity, upgrading consumption patterns, enhancing service quality, improving consumption standards, optimizing the consumption environment, and upgrading international consumption experiences.

Key labor and welfare reforms in the plan include:

Encouraging enterprises to adopt flexible scheduling.
Promoting the "Friday afternoon plus weekend" 2.5-day leave model in eligible regions.
Advocating for full implementation of paid and annual leave policies, with a novel push for "shared spousal leave."
Raising the minimum wage to 2,200 yuan/month.
Adjusting basic pensions for retirees and rural/urban residents.
Introducing a "no-reason 7-day return policy" for in-store purchases.

The trial has sparked national interest, with many workers on social media calling for its expansion across China. One popular comment read, "Let's implement 5-day weeks one week, then 4-day the next—half a month, one mini vacation!"

As the 4.5-day model begins in Mianyang, the big question remains: Is this the future of work-life balance in China?

Source: 新闻坊