JEDDAH: The first day of work after Eid Al-Fitr was difficult for most employees, from both public and private sectors, as for many of them, for many days, the awake-sleeping cycles had been reversed.

Some employees who had to punch in, and thus could not be absent from work, slept during the working hours or, at best, engaged in idle talk, or took selfies or spent time on social networks.

Ali bin Jiddah, an employee in one of the Jeddah municipalities, said: “Waking up the first day after Eid in order to go to work is difficult; actually, the first working day after Eid is uncomfortable, exhausting and disorienting.

Most colleagues experience the same situation, but there are businesses that should be accomplished, and we cannot take an extra day vacation or keep lazing around. Still, there are many employees who do not come to work the first day after Eid, but that extra day is not useful, it just postpones facing reality.”

His colleague Khalid Alsayid said: “The first day is too long, and usually unproductive. Everyone feels tired and unfocused; they feel like someone kidnapped them and brought them to work unwillingly. However, in the end reality imposes itself, we will get used to it.”