In Baku, they have a new working hours regime with will work

The issue of changing working hours has come to the agenda in Azerbaijan. Deputy Vuqar Bayramov stated that according to the "State Program for the Improvement of Transport Infrastructure in Baku City and Surrounding Areas for 2025-2030," the work schedule of government bodies, educational and medical institutions, as well as other legal and natural persons, is envisaged to be organized based on a flexible work schedule. According to him, within the framework of the program, the implementation of this mechanism is planned specifically for 2026.

“The analyses conducted by the Ministry of Labor and Social Protection of the Population, the Ministry of Science and Education, the Ministry of Health, the Management Union of Territorial Medical Units (TƏBİB), and the Transport Coordination Council regarding the application of flexible work schedules should be completed soon. Based on the lists to be approved by the Cabinet of Ministers, flexible work schedules will be organized,” noted the deputy.

It is interesting whether differentiating the start times of work can really reduce traffic congestion in the city? In which other sectors might this change yield effective results?

Medianews.az reports that economist Natig Jafarly remarked that the situation in Azerbaijan’s labor market seems somewhat complex:

“About half of the salaried employees in our country work in the public sector. For example, nearly 880 thousand people are employed in the state and budget sectors. This mainly includes teachers, doctors, law enforcement officers, and employees of state companies. Changing their work schedules is not an easy matter. For instance, how can the working hours of teachers be altered? For this, the work schedules of schools must also change. There should be enough classrooms in schools so that lessons can start at 8, 9, or 11 o'clock.

But if such a change takes place, how will parents take younger children to school? In this case, the work schedules of parents must also be aligned with this regime. So, this is not an easily solvable issue.

Solving the traffic jam problem is not dependent solely on this factor. The main problem in Baku is excessive overload. The main goal is to reduce Baku’s burden and establish cities in the liberated regions where hundreds of thousands of people can live. For example, turning Khankendi into a city of half a million is possible. Overall, reducing the load on Baku seems like a more logical approach.”

Independent expert Aygun Musayeva stated that the rapid depopulation of villages in Azerbaijan leads to an acceleration of urbanization and a sharp imbalance between the city and regions. According to her, the majority of refugees residing in Baku, tourist inflow, and the placement of all administrative buildings there have increased the population burden on Baku and caused the city to be overloaded by 2-3 times more than normal:

“Against this backdrop, the decrease in vacant land plots indicates that the existing road infrastructure will not withstand future growth.

There are some institutions for which there is no need to start their activities at 8-9 in the morning. Some administrative buildings, offices, scientific research institutes that do not provide services to the public, agencies, various committees, and district offices are examples. Because they do not have a large citizen flow, they mainly work in limited office tasks within their cabinets.

For example, agencies that conduct statistical calculations, scientific research institutes, the Manuscripts Institute, various institutions under the Academy of Sciences do not accept citizens. None of these institutions need to start working at 8-9 in the morning. Notaries, some education departments, bakeries, metro, markets, pharmacies, and hospitals as service sectors should work early. Other institutions that do not provide emergency or vital services can start work at 10-11 and finish at 16:00–17:00.”

According to the expert, there is currently no need to fear the reduction of working hours:

“Because there are institutions whose work from 9 a.m. to 5-6 p.m. is absolutely unimportant.

On the contrary, this approach has economic and ecological benefits. Energy consumption decreases, costs are saved, the city’s overall load is reduced, and people’s health and mental status improve concerning chronic stress. Because commuting in traffic jams for a long time in a dense city like Baku tires the employees of those offices as well.

The banking sector can also switch to a two-shift work schedule. For example, it is not necessary for all employees to be present at work at 9 a.m. In districts densely populated with universities – such as the Academy of Sciences, Sahil, Nasimi districts – a shift system can be introduced. One group starts classes in the morning, and the other can continue from noon or until the evening. Even during the Soviet period, some higher education institutions had night shifts.”

A. Musayeva says that currently in the world, the topical issue is not “how many hours I work” but “how optimally I work”:

“That is, an employee can come and sit for 10 hours at work doing nothing. But working only 4 hours can yield many times more benefits.” ( Bakupost.az )