From now on, everyone in Israel gets a day off – a full one, consisting of 25 hours away from their job – and not just bits and pieces of time off, as workers in some industries have been used to getting. That recommendation was handed down Sunday by Attorney General Yehuda Weinstein, who said that a day off from work was a right granted to all by Israel's Basic Laws, and they applied to anyone working in Israel.
That includes workers in the nursing care industry, whether in institutions or in private homes. In many households, family members would take take over some hours a day, especially over the weekend, to enable their foreign nursing assistants to participate in community or family events – but many did not have the privilege of a full day off, as they were required to come back to their jobs to fulfill some tasks. Employers will now have to find substitutes for these workers for an entire day and night, according to the new rule.
The rule is actually a reversal of a High Court decision on the matter, which recognized that workers in the care industry were employed in a different type of work than most other employees. Be that as it may, said Weinstein, the basic right to a full day off could not be compromised. The Court, which has yet to make a final decision on the matter, will take Weinstein's point of view under consideration, it said.
For those who cannot do without the assistance provided by these workers, Weinstein is willing to work out a compromise – paying them 150% of their normal salary for hours worked on their day off.