Hungarian police to receive automatic birthday leave

Starting September 1, all Hungarian police officers and law enforcement administrative staff will receive an automatic day off for their birthdays. According to Kristóf Gál, spokesperson for the National Police Headquarters, this day off is intended to recognize and show appreciation for the daily service and work performed by officers.

The benefit is applied automatically during duty planning, meaning employees do not need to submit a formal request. If a birthday falls on a non-working day, a holiday, or during scheduled time off, the day off will be granted on the next scheduled working day.

This new policy comes as the Hungarian police face a significant personnel shortage, with government data indicating a nationwide deficit of nearly 9,000 officers, including over 2,000 unfilled positions in Budapest.