Minister Duissenova suggests reducing holiday and weekend payments

One of the amendments proposed was to cut holiday and weekend payment rates. According to the Minister, presently Kazakhstanis are paid 1.5 times regular wage for overtime work. The employers double employees' wage for the work performed on a holiday and on the weekend, and pay 1.5 times higher for working at nights. The new code sets a new rate - 1.25 times regular wage for all abovementioned cases. The employers may increase this rate and prescribe it in the collective labour contracts. On one hand, this measure will help reduce employers' expenses. On the other hand, it will retain the employers from engaging their employees to work on a holiday and on the weekend, the Minister added.