# Siesta



## Jacq17 (Jan 1, 2011)

Does Cyprus have a siesta break during the day?


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## Veronica (Apr 5, 2008)

Jacq17 said:


> Does Cyprus have a siesta break during the day?


Everything closes from 1pm to 3pm apart from supermarkets etc.
During August the closing time is 1pm to 4pm.

Veronica


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## Jacq17 (Jan 1, 2011)

Veronica said:


> Everything closes from 1pm to 3pm apart from supermarkets etc.
> During August the closing time is 1pm to 4pm.
> 
> Veronica


Thank you Veronica. Would you also know what the standard working hours are? For example, office work?


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## Veronica (Apr 5, 2008)

Jacq17 said:


> Thank you Veronica. Would you also know what the standard working hours are? For example, office work?


I think its 8am to 6pm. but it can vary between offices.


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## Toxan (Dec 29, 2010)

With the coming of air conditioned offices and the International nature of Cyprus businesses, more and more places are not so siesta minded. Government offices are still notorious though with many closing at 1300 for the day.


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## Half Full (Dec 29, 2010)

I'm trying to convince my wife that siesta is compulsory in Cyprus but she won't beleive me


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## zin (Oct 28, 2010)

With good reason. It's not compulsory at all, my mother opens her shop from 9am to 7pm every day, in the run up to Christmas she's open 7 days a week.


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## Half Full (Dec 29, 2010)

zin said:


> With good reason. It's not compulsory at all, my mother opens her shop from 9am to 7pm every day, in the run up to Christmas she's open 7 days a week.


Erm, it was a joke yeah?


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## zin (Oct 28, 2010)

I apologise, my emoticon grammar is weak.


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## Toxan (Dec 29, 2010)

Donot forget that people tend to begin work early too!


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## zeeb0 (Oct 29, 2010)

Yo,

There is a 2 tier culture.. the government offices are all half days and slack.. the private sector is 8:00-18:00 and work hard.. Needles to say its everyones dream to work for the governemnt because:

"they cant sack you and you go home early"


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## Jacq17 (Jan 1, 2011)

zeeb0 said:


> Yo,
> 
> There is a 2 tier culture.. the government offices are all half days and slack.. the private sector is 8:00-18:00 and work hard.. Needles to say its everyones dream to work for the governemnt because:
> 
> "they cant sack you and you go home early"


Thank you all for the posts.....erm, how do you go around getting a government job!!!!??? And yes, I think it is most important to make siesta compulsory - I might make that my mission aswell when we move!!!???!! LOL


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## zin (Oct 28, 2010)

Government jobs are all about who you know and not what you know. They are cushy numbers but don't expect progression without high level connections.


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## Veronica (Apr 5, 2008)

Jacq17 said:


> Thank you all for the posts.....erm, how do you go around getting a government job!!!!??? And yes, I think it is most important to make siesta compulsory - I might make that my mission aswell when we move!!!???!! LOL


You get a government job by being Cypriot and related to someone who works there.
You don't have to be good at your job and they won't sack you no matter how useless you are or how rude you are to people.


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## Toxan (Dec 29, 2010)

In a government job you also get promoted just before you retire, so you get a pay rise and a better pension.


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## theresoon (Apr 11, 2008)

Veronica said:


> You get a government job by being Cypriot and related to someone who works there.
> You don't have to be good at your job and they won't sack you no matter how useless you are or how rude you are to people.


Knowing someone who works for the government is not nearly enough. You have to be involved with a political party. Doesn't matter which one. They divide the available jobs between their own people depending on their %s. The more loyal you are to them the easier it is for them to get you in no matter if you a complete moron. So now, they all have student organizations - that one has to be actively involved- then after graduation they are moved into the party youth and then to the party. A couple of years ago there was an incedent at the University of Nicosia where they had a huge fight and broke everything around them but of course no one will touch them.

The other way is to become a teacher then you just wait for your number to come up. I know someone who is 50 and his number come up this year so he is teaching for the first time this year.

You don't have to be Cypriot but you have to have the certificate of Greek language. I had a friend who took this and it was not at all easy she had to take special classes for it as she was in the last year of high school - for grammar, language, syntax etc. Eventhough they told her she passed the test they told her she couldn't keep her job (she was already working for the gvt but without a contract) as they send her the actual certificate a day late.


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