Governor David M. Apatang has postponed the start of reduced working hours for executive branch employees, issuing a revised austerity measure that moves its implementation to November 18 for civil service and November 30 for excepted service employees.
The governor’s decision, announced in a memorandum on October 31 and prompted by the Attorney General’s call for compliance with labor laws, comes just as the government completes its first month of fiscal year 2026.
In the governor’s original memorandum, issued on October 1, 2025, the reduction in hours was scheduled to take effect on October 5, 2025. Under the original austerity plan, the work schedule was to be Monday to Friday, from 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m., including lunch hour.
However, in his revised memorandum, the governor stated that the non-standard work week with reduced hours will now take effect on November 18, 2025, for civil service employees and November 30, 2025, for excepted employees, continuing through the end of fiscal year 2026 or until further notice.
Effective October 31, 2025, government employees’ regular work hours were reinstated, Monday to Friday, from 7:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m., until the austerity measures are implemented.
The governor also rescinded his directive on unpaid holidays. In his original memorandum, the following holidays would have been unpaid:
Monday, Oct. 31, 2025: Commonwealth Cultural Day
Tuesday, Nov. 4, 2025: Citizenship Day
Monday, Dec. 8, 2025: Â Constitution Day
Tuesday, Jan. 20, 2026: Martin Luther King Day
Monday, Feb. 16, 2026: President’s Day
Tuesday, March 4, 2026: Covenant Day
Friday, April 3, 2026: Good Friday
Friday, June 19, 2026: Juneteenth Day
Friday, July 3, 2026: Independence Day
In his revised austerity measures memorandum, he stated that all legal holidays in FY2026 will be paid unless otherwise provided by law.
The governor issued the revised austerity measures, in light of the Office of the Attorney General’s recommendation and the submission of the revised FY2026 budget, reducing from $179.7 million to $158 million, the NMI government’s gross revenue.
Following the governor’s original austerity measure, Senate legal counsel Jose A. Bermudes questioned the legality of the governor’s directive on unpaid holidays.
The revision followed weeks of dialogue between the executive branch, the legislature, and fiscal officers to avert immediate service disruptions.
Variety earlier reported that the austerity plan was part of an interim cost-containment strategy as the administration awaited legislative action on the revised FY2026 appropriations bill.
Governor Apatang, in earlier statements, said the adjustments aimed to “protect essential services and minimize impact on employees while maintaining fiscal discipline.”
The delay also came after the Public School System and other government instrumentalities expressed concern about implementing austerity schedules before the passage of a workable budget.
Education Commissioner Dr. Lawrence Camacho earlier announced that the PSS had postponed its own austerity measures to Nov. 17, 2025, citing “ongoing collaboration” with both the legislature and the governor’s office to find student-focused solutions.
The Department of Finance likewise confirmed that revenue projections for the new fiscal year remained under review due to continuing federal grant realignments and slower tax collections.
Last week, Governor Apatang cautioned that the Commonwealth may face additional austerity steps if its fiscal position worsens.
“Any reduction in work hours and pay that occurred without required notice will be corrected in future payroll adjustments,” the governor said.
He emphasized that more austerity measures may be unavoidable if the CNMI’s fiscal outlook declines. With projected revenues lower than anticipated, Apatang outlined two possible budget paths for a revised Fiscal Year 2026 appropriations bill.
If the Legislature and the Marianas Public Land Trust cannot agree on a loan, he warned, “the consequences could include a 58-hour pay period or the termination of the government’s Group Health & Life Insurance program.”
Governor Apatang called on all stakeholders to act now and ensure the passage of a revised budget, urging them to help avoid measures that would dramatically affect both workers and government services.