The Bratsk City Hall is cutting the workweek and salaries. However, this won't affect officials.

Starting October 10, non-municipal employees of the Bratsk city administration will be transferred to a shortened workweek. According to the mayor's order, the new schedule will be in effect until April 9, 2026: Monday through Thursday, the workday will be from 9:00 AM to 17:12 PM, Fridays from 09:00 AM to 13:00 PM for women, and from 09:00 AM to 15:00 PM for men. Staff salaries will also be reduced proportionally.

“The corresponding order has already been signed; the change in schedule is due to the need to optimize costs,” an administration representative reported.

The new schedule will not affect government officials—they will continue to work their usual schedules and receive full pay. The new schedule will affect cleaners, IT specialists, cafeteria workers, and secretaries—in other words, anyone who provides services to the local government.

This is not the first time case shortening the working week in order to save money.

In August and September, Yekaterinburg metro employees will switch to a four-day workweek, while at the Rostov Combine Plant, the workweek was initially reduced to four days, and then to three. AvtoVAZ is also preparing to switch to a four-day workweek.

Reducing the workweek and proportionally reducing salaries at companies or institutions is becoming a common economic measure in Russia. Most often, such measures are explained by a reduction in the company's workload or budget constraints.