Council workers are to be given a fully paid afternoon off to do their Christmas shopping - and taxpayers will foot the bill. Staff at Leicestershire County Council say that by paying their workers while they are out shopping for festive treats it will prevent them from skiving off nearer the big day. But the plan has met with outrage by taxpayers who are already facing spiralling mortgage bills, higher tax bills and fast-rising general living costs.
Kamal Dhutia, acting chairman of the Leicester Federation of Small Businesses,said it was totally the wrong way use the public purse. “If these people were taking this time as unpaid leave or holiday,then fine. “But getting paid to shop, from the public purse, is wrong.” Councillor Kevin Feltham, cabinet member for staff, defended the move, saying it was better to give workers time off than have them skive and leave offices short staffed.