An additional day of paid leave announced in the Budget for 2020 has officially entered into force, through a regulation added to the Employment and Industrial Relations Act.

The regulation was introduced by minister Carmelo Abela, who is responsible for employment, after consultation with the Employment Relations Board.  It should be considered to have entered into force on January 1.

 “We are giving workers another day a year to spend as they please. In this way, we will be giving our workers a new lease of life to focus on life away from work; with their family or in environments that relax them,” Abela said.

This is the third consecutive year that workers have received an additional day of leave as compensation for public holidays that fall on weekends.