During Wednesday’s open session, lawmakers revised the bill to amend Article 87 of the Civil Service Management Law.
The previously proposed 40-hour workweek has been adjusted to 42 hours and 30 minutes. The bill allows the government to organize working schedules for all executive bodies, both national and provincial, across five days from Saturday to Wednesday, excluding military, security, and essential service units such as banks, customs offices, hospitals, healthcare centers, and sports venues.
The Administrative and Employment Affairs Organization has three months from the law’s implementation date to compile a list of exempt operational service units, which will require Cabinet approval.
In line with the changes, any laws previously based on a 44-hour workweek or 176 hours every four weeks, including the Labor Law, will now reflect the revised 42.5-hour and 170-hour benchmarks.
Some lawmakers warned that the bill may still face resistance. MP Mohsen Zanganeh highlighted that the Expediency Council had earlier objected due to concerns from the private sector, which viewed the reform as economically burdensome and misaligned with production policies.
