As Ghana marks the International Workers’ Day today, Thursday, May 1, 2025, an economist is raising concerns over the economic toll midweek public holidays are exerting on national productivity.
The economist, who is also a private legal practitioner, Appiah Adomako is sounding an alarm, warning that poorly timed holidays are quietly costing the economy millions in lost output.
In a thought-provoking write-up on the subject, Lawyer Adomako said the recurring pattern, when public holidays fall on Tuesdays, Wednesdays, or Thursdays, leads to many workers either leaving their offices early the day before or extending their time off into the following week.
This behaviour, though unofficial, has serious implications for Ghana’s economic performance.
He noted that Public holidays falling midweek can reduce GDP contribution from key sectors like manufacturing and services by up to 2% for the affected week.
Businesses, particularly in the private sector, face disruptions in workflow, delays in service delivery, and widespread absenteeism during such extended breaks. For many firms, the ripple effect of a single midweek holiday can stretch across five days, turning what should be a one-day observance into a week-long drag on productivity.
To address this, Adomako is advocating for a policy shift that realigns Ghana’s movable public holidays to fall on Mondays. He argues that this would create predictable long weekends that preserve the intent of national observances while boosting economic activity.
“We can learn from global best practices. Countries like the United States, Canada, and Australia have moved several national holidays to Mondays. This reduces business disruptions and promotes domestic tourism,” he said.
Beyond minimizing lost productivity, Monday-aligned holidays could also benefit worker well-being and stimulate other parts of the economy. A 2023 Ghana Tourism Authority study found that domestic tourism spending increased by 12% during three-day weekends compared to single-day holidays.
Rural communities, small businesses, and the hospitality sector stand to benefit from such spikes in travel and leisure spending.
Adomako also referenced research from the World Health Organization, which indicates that extended weekends help reduce workplace stress, burnout, and associated healthcare costs, improving both mental health and national productivity in the long run.
Appiah Adomako was however quick to clarify that sacred and fixed-date holidays such as Christmas, Independence Day, Eid, and Good Friday should remain untouched due to their cultural and religious importance. However, he proposed that more flexible civic holidays such as May Day, Founder’s Day, Kwame Nkrumah Memorial Day, Republic Day, and Constitutional Day could be shifted.
To make this proposal a reality, the lawyer is recommending that Parliament amends the Public Holidays (Amendment) Act, 2019 (Act 986), designating specific Mondays for applicable holidays.
He further suggested that the Ministry of Tourism, Arts, and Culture could roll out targeted campaigns and travel incentives around these long weekends, further boosting local tourism and economic circulation.
