An environmental working group is considering proposals to allow flexible working hours for white-collar employees and two weeks of winter holiday for students, as part of a bid to cut air pollution that reaches peak levels during the cold season.
“Introducing some flexibility to the office hours and a winter break to the academic calendar will be discussed in the next meeting of the working group to combat air pollution in metropolises. The two proposals, if approved, will be referred to the Cabinet to be finalized,” said Behzad Ashjaei, a member of the group.
All concerned state organizations, including the education, labor and industries ministries, will be represented in the meeting, ANA News Agency quoted him as saying on Monday.
Tehran Municipality and the Department of Environment have been actively pushing for more flexible office hours in Tehran and at a national level respectively, so the change could come into force at the start of the academic year later this week.
“The issue has been pursued by the Tehran Municipality and the DOE in tandem, with the former having presented a proposal [to the Cabinet] that calls for the flexible working schedule to be enforced from September 23,” Ashjaei said.
Based on the proposed arrangements, white-collar workeres in the Tehran Province would be allowed to arrive at work at any time between 7 a.m. and 8:30 a.m. and leave after eight hours, the environmental official said.
With the drop of temperature in winter, a weather phenomenon known as temperature inversion occurs in which cold air underlies warm air at higher altitude, acting as a cap and trapping air pollutants in the city, which leads to heavy smog.
The DOE has been advocating winter breaks for over two years, arguing that it can help protect schoolchildren, which are considered vulnerable by health experts to the impact of air pollution.
Substandard vehicles and highly-polluting industries in and around large cities are major contributors to air pollution.
