Time off in the public and private sectors: how does it work?

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The premise that is repeated every year is this: at certain times of the year, such as Carnival, Christmas or New Year, the tendency is to look at the calendar and try to see if there are suitable occasions for taking a day off.

We have all heard of this concept, especially in relation to the public sector. The government decrees a grace period, but private sector companies can also offer a grace period.

But do you know how it works? And what does the Law say about this subject? Who does it apply to and what are the benefits?

What is point tolerance?
This is an exemption from attendance at work granted to workers by italy whatsapp number database employer, on a working day when they would otherwise be required to be present.

The day off is not considered a holiday, nor is it the enjoyment of vacations , and is often associated with public sector workers , and is even legislated for this sector.

"Point tolerance” and “Bridge” are not the same thing
Although they are often confused, the terms "point tolerance" and "bridge" do not always correspond to the same occasion.

A time off is, as mentioned, a benefit granted to the worker of being able to "not clock in" on a working day considered normal.

On the other hand, a "bridge" is a day of tolerance that falls between a holiday and a weekend (or vice versa) or two holidays, forming a "bridge" between one and the other.

Differences between public and private sector time off
Who can benefit from the public holiday?
The law determines that tolerance can be decreed in the public sector. From a legal point of view, tolerance only applies to these workers . In fact, tolerance does not exist in the private sector . However, companies belonging to the private sector may or may not follow suit and apply tolerance in the same way.

How and by whom is the public holiday declared?
With regard to the public sector, this tolerance is granted by order of the Prime Minister and must be published in the Official Gazette .

In the private sector, managers authorize their employees not to go to work. In some cases, this may mean a loss of pay. In the private sector, a day off is considered an absence from work authorized or approved by the employer under Article 255 of Law No. 7/2009 (Labor Code).

Is there a loss of workers' pay?
Private sector companies may grant their employees a day off in the form of an authorized or approved absence, which therefore does not imply unjustified absence nor may it lead to just cause for dismissal.

However, contrary to what happens in the public sector, where rights are practically unchanged, under the aforementioned article 255 of the Labour Code, despite being justified, this type of absence implies the loss of the worker's pay, at the same time that, being an absence, the food allowance will also not be received.

When is there a point tolerance?
As a general rule, there are public holidays, such as:

Shrove Tuesday : Carnival is not, and never has been, a holiday. However, traditionally, a day off has always been given on this day. It must, however, be published in the Official Gazette.
December 24, Christmas Eve and December 31, New Year's Eve : To facilitate traditional family travel on these dates, it is common for public servants to be granted day off on Christmas Eve and New Year's Eve, that is, December 24 and 31, or sometimes one of them at their choice.
Papal visits to Portugal: When the Pope visits the country, the Government often grants a day off so that its workers can, if they wish, attend the rare celebrations.
Easter: It is also common for one of two holidays to be granted on Easter Sunday: either the afternoon of the previous Thursday, or the following Monday ("Easter Monday"), in the case of municipalities where there are still celebrations on that day.