Is the soul of an Uzbek made of iron? 60 percent of civil servants works beyond their work-plans

In Uzbekistan, 57.3% of civil servants engage in extra work outside of their regular working hours. These statistics were derived from a survey conducted by the nationwide movement "Yuksalish."

It is noted that 560 civil servants participated in this survey by the "Yuksalish" movement. Of them, 57.3 percent had to work overtime. Among those who work overtime, 36.8% report finishing work 1-2 hours late every day, 13.9% remain at work until 10:00 PM, and 6.4% even stay until 00:00. It is said that they are compelled to do so.

The "Yuksalish" survey also examined the issue of meetings. It was found that 41.3 percent of civil servants spend up to 4 hours a week in meetings, 11.4 percent spend 5-7 hours, and 15.8 percent spend more than 8 hours in the meeting room. According to the research, the Bukhara, Kashkadarya, and Surkhandarya regions tend to have more meetings and gatherings compared to other regions.

Additionally, the survey revealed that about 70 percent of ordinary specialists and one-third of management personnel work overtime. Of the employees, 67.6% are male and 32.4% are female.

Of course, the aforementioned statistics are relative, but they provide an understanding of the general situation.

For reference, on December 9, 2019, the President of the Republic of Uzbekistan issued a decision "On measures to further reduce bureaucratic barriers and introduce modern management principles into the activities of state bodies and organizations," aiming to decrease the number of meetings in state bodies. During a video conference on measures to ensure youth employment and meaningful use of free time on January 27, 2021, chaired by President Shavkat Mirziyoyev, it was emphasized that meetings should be minimized. On February 10, 2021, Prime Minister Abdulla Aripov was tasked to strictly prohibit calling neighborhood chairmen and precinct supervisors to meetings, as emphasized during the video conference dedicated to the implementation of the 2021 State Program, chaired by the President. The head of state issued an order to reduce absenteeism during the video conference held on July 18, 2022.

It's worth noting that on July 19 of this year, a woman who was summoned to a late-night meeting of authorities in the Pastdargom district of the Samarkand region died after being hit by a Nexia vehicle. Earlier, Bukhara regional governor Botir Zaripov held a meeting in Bukhara, Vobkent, and Gijduvan districts involving neighborhood chairmen and assistant governors, despite it being a holiday. The State Labor Inspectorate issued instructions to eliminate violations of the law and prevent their recurrence, suggesting payment to employees who work on weekends or granting compensatory time off upon employee request. These instructions were presented to the governor of the region by the head of the inspection.