Edirne governor allows civil servants who exercise to start work late

ISTANBUL

DHA Photo

Civil servants in the northwestern province of Edirne have been permitted to arrive at work one hour late on the condition of spending that hour exercising, the city’s governor recently announced. 

Edirne Governor Dursun Ali Şahin said in a recent interview civil servants were allowed to turn up late for work, as long as they spend the time exercising.

Government workers in Edirne usually start their shifts at 8:30 a.m., but anyone signing up to the new “Our Cure is Sport” plan will be allowed to clock in an hour later, the BBC said citing local reports. Workers will be helped to find a form of exercise which suits them and have access to a dietician. So far 70 people have asked to take part. 

The scheme is part of an anti-obesity drive by Şahin, who doesn’t want early starts at work to put people off exercising. “I am thinking about joining the morning walks myself, it is very beneficial,” he said. “Even those with high cholesterol can find a solution for their health problems here.” 

This isn’t the governor’s first attempt to try to improve the health of the local people. In January, he announced a ban on people using elevators to reach the first three floors of public buildings. Before that, he set his sights on the Turkish tradition of serving tea with two cubes of sugar, telling cafes to provide only one cube instead.