China Focus: China explores holiday reforms to improve work-life balance, boost consumption

BEIJING, March 14 (Xinhua) -- As China seeks to boost domestic consumption while enhancing public well-being, holiday arrangements and paid leave policies emerged as discussion points during the just-concluded annual sessions of the national legislature and the top political advisory body, where measures were proposed to grant citizens greater flexibility in scheduling holidays and utilizing paid leave.

This year's government work report proposed introducing spring and autumn breaks for primary and secondary school students in localities where conditions permit, alongside implementing the system of staggered paid leave.

The proposals reflect growing recognition that leisure time is not only important for well-being, but also a key factor in stimulating spending in the world's second-largest economy.

The growing attention to holidays marks an evolution in policy thinking. While the government work report in 2024 stressed the need to fully implement paid leave, and the 2025 report called for improving the leave system, this year's report introduced the concept of staggered paid leave, aiming to spread travel and leisure activities more evenly throughout the year.

The approach could ease pressure during peak travel periods, such as the "Golden Week" holiday in October, while creating more stable consumption patterns.

Gordon Lam, a deputy to the National People's Congress (NPC) and chief supply chain officer of Sinopec in Hong Kong, said promoting staggered paid leave could shift consumption away from concentrated "Golden Week" surges toward more balanced spending throughout the year.

The change could help improve travel experiences and the consumption environment while reducing congestion at tourist attractions and public facilities, Lam said.

The proposal to introduce spring and autumn breaks for primary and secondary schools has also attracted attention, as many see it as a way to encourage family travel during off-peak seasons.

A pilot program in southwest China's Sichuan Province in 2025 offered a glimpse of the potential impact. During a five-day autumn break in November, ticket bookings for scenic spots in the province more than quadrupled compared with the same period in 2024, while bookings for flights departing the provincial capital of Chengdu rose 22 percent week on week, local media reported.

However, lawmakers and advisors say complementary measures will be needed to make such arrangements workable.

"If students get time off, but their parents don't, how can they travel together?" said Zhao Wanping, an NPC deputy and vice head of the Anhui Academy of Agricultural Sciences. Zhao suggested integrating the implementation of paid leave with the school break system, so parents can travel with their children, helping boost consumption.

Lu Ming, a member of the Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference National Committee and a professor at Shanghai Jiao Tong University, said employers should allow greater flexibility during school breaks, enabling parents to adjust shifts or take leave to spend time with their children.

If parents cannot take time off, schools and community organizations could organize activities such as interest classes, study trips, or outings, with government support, Lu added.

Despite strong public interest in holiday reforms, analysts say implementing the new measures requires balancing workers' needs with the operational realities facing businesses.

Some political advisors have suggested linking companies' compliance with leave regulations to tax incentives or credit assessments to encourage better implementation of labor policies.

Tian Xuan, an NPC deputy and professor at Peking University, suggested that the compensatory workday arrangements -- a practice of rearranging workdays and weekends to create extended holidays -- should be reformed, as the practice often requires people to work additional days before or after the break.

From a broader economic perspective, he said, a well-designed holiday system can act as a catalyst for social progress and support industries such as tourism, catering, transportation and events.

Yu Miaojie, an NPC deputy and president of Liaoning University, said that in some enterprises, workplace cultures that equate taking leave with a lack of dedication discourage employees from using vacation days they are entitled to.

Stronger legal safeguards are needed to ensure that taking time off does not affect performance evaluations or career advancement, he added. ■