New Year’s Day is looking a little less cheerful for blue and white collar workers alike after the State Council announced next year’s official holiday list on Monday, which includes an eight-day work week beginning January 4.

Web users vented online that the holidays are actually a reshuffling of work days and weekends, resulting in an eight-day week after the New Year’s holidays from January 1 to 3. In addition, a seven-day work week will be imposed after the Spring Festival.

@胡锡进：Hu Xijin: I was angry when I saw a report saying a “29-day holiday in 2013”, because more than half of this so-called holiday is actually our weekends. When have Chinese ever had so many holidays? But after looking through the content of the report, besides the headline I couldn’t find the number “29” in the article anywhere. They were just making for an eye-catching headline. Holidays in China are still far from enough, and I highly recommended reinstating the 7-day May Day holiday, which stimulates consumption and has more advantages than disadvantages overall.

@黄毛兔：It’s better to perfect the holiday system instead of having one in name only and not get to rest at all.  

@ 萍萍7906_vt7：We actually now have to work eight days in a row. That’s a hefty price to pay for only three days off. 

@VivianYu燕燕: Eight consecutive working days? I’d rather just work on New Year’s and have a regular work week instead.

@紫金春雨： As a doctor, I fully support working 365 days a year because holidays never apply to us anyway. It’s only fair if everyone is working.

@强弱关系：Many workers depend on overtime pay to get by. Now factories will take advantage of national holidays by giving more days off, leaving workers with nothing but unpaid vacation.