Deputies against, businessmen — for: whether it is necessary to do on a day off in Tatarstans on December 31?

Vladimir Putin said he was not averse to thinking about giving Russians a day off on December 31. The president, however, frankly admitted that he does not yet know how to do it — there is little time left.

“It is already the middle of December, the New Year holidays are approaching. I do not know what we will do about December 31. There is very little time left to make a decision of this kind. But I heard you too,” the Russian leader said.

Meanwhile, the survey of Realnoe Vremya showed that not everyone believes that Russians need another day off, even on the eve of the most beloved national holiday.

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  Ayrat Farrakhov State Duma Deputy from Tatarstan, Member of the State Duma Committee on Budget and Taxes, Former Deputy Minister of Finance

  I am still for that December 31 to be a working day. We have a very long weekend already. I am telling as an economist and a person who has worked in the executive branch for a long time: to be honest, we need to work more if we want to live better. Every day brings its contribution to the gross domestic product (GDP). It is very simple to estimate losses for the country from introduction of one more day off. I know from experience in previous years that two or three holidays have a very serious impact on GDP and its growth. Therefore, when we compare month-to-month, extra days off, unfortunately, lead to decrease in GDP. Losses for the country on billions of rubles only for one day off!

  Second, the working day is also about ensuring the safety of our production facilities, which need technological improvement. You know, so many days off, so many days when there are no personnel in factories, are fraught with great difficulties.

  Third, if you want, everyone can arrange a day off or a holiday, but the salary from this will not be more. Therefore, those teams that consider this day exclusively a weekend, they can always find options for how to relax — it can be easily solved. But in general, declaring it a non-working day across the country, well, sorry — there are a huge number of people who would like at least half a day on December 31 to work, and not to slave over a hot stove all day.

  Therefore, I believe that this day should remain working, and those who want to rest on this day, I am sure, will find an opportunity to negotiate with the employer, there are plenty of options.

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  Boris Mendeleevich Deputy of the State Duma of Russia from Tatarstan, Member of the State Duma on Health Protection

  Purely humanly, I understand the desire of Russians to rest on this day, and I think it is quite possible to do so. As far as I know, according to our legislation, the regions have every right to declare December 31 a day off. I will tell you even more, some regions have already introduced this holiday, for example, Tomsk Oblast.

  On the other hand, holidays and weekends are determined at the beginning of the year for the entire current year. And, of course, it is not entirely reasonable to change the rules of the game in the course of the game, when there are certain economic plans, enterprises have their own plans. Maybe next year the State Duma will consider this bill, and the regions will think whether to introduce it or not.

  From the point of view of medicine, on this occasion, there is a double opinion. On the one hand, rest for the body, of course, is needed — it always has a good effect on the person. On the other hand, unfortunately, it turns out that people often mismanage this time — the New Year holidays. Therefore, a number of major experts, for example, the former sanitary doctor of Russia Gennady Onishchenko, on the contrary, advocate reducing the number of days off for Russians.

  Plus, as a psychiatrist, I can say that the most depressing time for a person comes after a long vacation. Even there is a study that the most depressing day of the year is just the day of going to work after the New Year holidays.

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  Delyus Sirazetdinov Director Geneal of KamaStroyInvest PLC

  We'll definitely make it a non-working day. It won't hurt business. Everyone never works on 31 December. After December 15, fruitful work is not felt. People begin to prepare for the New Year holidays, go to corporate parties. Our company will not lose anything from making December 31 a day off. We have contractors on construction sites, they have a set deadline in which they are obliged to finish their work. How they will do this — it is already their problem.

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  Iskander Yusupov Deputy Director General of Unistroy company

  I believe that it is necessary to make December 31 a non-working day. In fact, there is still no full-fledged work on this day. People either celebrate the holiday at work, or they are present there only formally. It turns out a day that does not bring results, but must be paid by the employer. It is better to honestly make it a weekend, instead of removing one of the many holiday weekends in the middle of the year, make it a full-fledged working day, the effectiveness of such decision will only increase. The number of working days per year will not change.

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  Albert Khayrullov Head of Oktyabrskiy Society Development Centre

  I have always December 31 was a working day. If you believe in people, hope for them, and do your job for them, you can't ignore it and stay home. We already have a lot of days of rest. You need to work well, earn well, not to make salads at home in the evening, and go to celebrate the holiday in a cafe.

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  Yevgeny Ivanov Managing Owner of Penta Hause

  I would leave December 31 a working but short day. Our employees understand why they go to work, not just sit out. They understand what they are spending their precious time on. They make money.

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  Bulat Ganiev Managing Partner pf Teknokratia company

  Why making it a day of rest? It is already the responsibility of each enterprise how this day goes. We have a huge weekend already. Nowhere in the world is there such a thing. We have a normal working day, not even shortened in our company.