Speaking during a parliamentary debate, Montenegro said rewarding workplace attendance is a principle the government supports and revealed that the idea had previously been discussed during negotiations with social partners.
According to the prime minister, the government considered introducing a measure that would grant extra holiday days to workers with good attendance records. However, the proposal was ultimately not included in the labour reform package submitted to Parliament after broader negotiations failed to produce agreement on several issues.
The possibility of additional leave has been debated throughout discussions on labour law reform. Earlier proposals included allowing employees to take up to two justified absence days each year immediately before or after holiday periods.
During negotiations, another option emerged: restoring a system that would increase the standard annual holiday entitlement of 22 days by up to three additional days for employees who maintained strong attendance throughout the year.
That proposal was not included in the final legislation currently being considered by Parliament. Instead, the draft law contains a measure allowing workers to purchase up to two additional days of leave.
The issue has become one of the key points in ongoing political discussions surrounding labour reform. The Chega party has argued that additional holiday entitlement should reward attendance and has expressed support for bringing back the three extra days rather than allowing employees to buy additional leave.
Montenegro’s comments suggest the government may still be willing to consider changes to the proposal as discussions continue.
The broader labour reform package covers a range of employment issues and is expected to be debated further in Parliament in the coming weeks.
Supporters of attendance-based holiday incentives argue that they reward commitment and reliability in the workplace, while critics have previously raised concerns about how such measures could affect employees who need legitimate time away from work for health or family reasons.
For now, no final decision has been taken, but the prime minister’s remarks indicate that the possibility of additional leave linked to attendance remains under consideration.
