The Civil Service Commission clarified that it has not increased working hours at government offices following rumors on social media that working hours had been increased. All government employees are required to work seven hours per day, the CSC said in a statement. According to law, employees get 30 minutes of leeway on arrival, while women are allowed to leave 15 minutes early given the pressure of family obligations.

The CSC had earlier issued a directive on working hours in government bodies, noting that the total daily working hours are seven from Sundays to Thursdays, ie from 7:30 am to 2:30 pm for some employees and 8:00 am to 3:00 pm for others in most government institutions. But many social media users rejected the directive and posted several tweets against what they described as “CSC’s increase of the total number of working hours” without any consideration for traffic jams. On the other hand, several users hailed the decision, noting that it would help increase employees’ productivity.