After President Javier Milei transformed President Milei with a decree, which were previously known as “Bridge holidays”the companies were forced to redefine their policies. Little by little, the first veredicts about what will happen with those precious rest days were arriving. Is the long weekend in danger?
For now, the decision does not affect the next long weekend, which is Holy Week. As every year, and as it appears in the Official Calendar of the Ministry of Interioron Thursday, April 17 (Holy Thursday) will be non -working day, while Friday 18 (Good Friday) is a national holiday. These two days are added to Saturday, April 19 and Sunday 20 to form a long 4 -day weekend.
The days impacted by the measure are the holidays for tourist reasons, which the national government this year defined for Friday, May 2, August 15 and November 21 as non -working days. That is, the impact will be seen only for the long weekend of May.
What legally implies this change and what companies are thinking about these dates. Do long weekends are in danger?
What changed Javier Milei on the bridge holidays?
The National Government has as a law the power to designate in the year three days to promote internal tourism, creating long weekends. Until now, since the creation of those “bridge” – so that they used to join a holiday with days of the weekend – they were treated as national holidays before the law. But this year, through the Decree 1027/2024published in the Official Gazette, those days ceased to be holidays and became non -working days.
The dates designated for those non -working days for tourist purposes in 2025 are May 2, August 15 and November 21.
What changed? Than a Holiday is a mandatory rest day For all workers, established by law. The employee does not have the power to give up his right of work rest during the holiday, and in case he works on that date, he must pay a double day. While on the non -working day, it is at the discretion of the employer if you work or not, and in case of requiring it, it is not paid extra as if it were a holiday.
That is, the change of days Non -working day bridge holiday For tourist purposes, it implies above all a modification when liquidating the salary to registered workers.
Law 20,744, also known as the Labor Contract Law, establishes the regime by which employees who provide their services are paid during the business days. “In the National holidays govern legal norms on Sunday rest Regarding the prohibition of work. In these days, workers who do not enjoy the respective remuneration will receive the salary corresponding to them, even when they coincide with Sunday, “says article 181 of the regulations.
Therefore, in the bridge holidays if the employer decided that the collaborators should provide tasks, employees should be paid as a normal work day during a holiday, that is, the double day.
However, being now non -working daysif the employer defines that tasks should be paid anyway, no double day is paid but as Simple dayor regular salary for that date.
What will companies do with bridge holidays?
Now that they have the power to define – without having to pay extra – whether or not employees will have a long weekend for tourist purposes, what are large companies to do?
Days ago, the WTW consultant in Argentijna announced a survey that led to the end of February between 426 large local and subsidiaries of multinationals. At that time, the 57% of those consulted still had under analysis What to do with the three dates that will no longer be holidays but make up long weekends.
Other 33% had already decided that they will be treated for tourist purposes. That is, their employees will not work in those days and will not lose their workday. Finally, the remaining 10% I already had defined that you will work on those three days as in an ordinary day.
However, in recent days the Huca consultancy made another poll, with 30 of its client companies, whose results agreed as an advance iprofesional. 37% of these firms have already decided that the day will be given as if it were a holiday on non -working days for tourist purposes.
Other 30% He has already decided to treat those days as if they were from habitual work, and 23% have not yet defined a course of action.
There was also a 3% that left the decision at the discretion of the area or team responsibleand 7% who used other options, such as “implementing a rotation system between the equipment, A scheme of guards. In this way, all collaborators can enjoy a long weekend, at the same time ensuring the continuity of the operations, “they told this media from the consultant directed by Natalia Terlizzi.
In this way, each company decides the course that will take in the now non -working days for tourist purposes. It remains to see the impact that the change of regulations will effectively will have in the travel, leisure and entertainment sector, which for years depended on long weekends to support more stable the activity in low season.
