Evening shift attracts minimal civil servants in Kuwait

Cairo: Only 5 per cent of targeted government employees have applied to join the evening shift system that went into effect earlier this month in Kuwait.

According to Kuwaiti newspaper Al Anba, citing unspecified sources, the percentage of Civil Service Commission employees who have applied to work the evening shift stands at 5 per cent. Around 20 per cent to 30 per cent of the total workforce is targeted to transition from the morning system to the evening shift.

Out of 900 employees in the Civil Service Commission, Kuwait's state employment agency, only 59 have applied for the evening shift and started working under the new system as of January 5, the sources reported.

“The Commission will leave the door open for more employees who wish to request a switch from the morning shift to the evening shift,” the sources added.

The new system is still in its initial stages and is being assessed. “This system is under review to monitor any reasons requiring reconsideration, whether related to the limited number of employees or other controls outlined in the Commission’s circular,” the sources said.

Key reasons for employees’ hesitation to switch to the evening shift include the Commission’s stipulation that the employee’s work period in the evening should last no less than seven consecutive months, and that it may not be interrupted unless approved by the competent authority in the respective government agency.

According to the Commission's rules for implementing the new system, employees are limited to two requests per month to leave work early, with a maximum of six hours each time.

Each government agency is authorized to set the evening working hours, with a total of four and a half hours worked per day. Evening shifts must not begin before 3:30pm.

The system aims to improve the work environment for government employees, boost productivity rates, and reduce traffic congestion in the morning.