Contract employees in American Samoa are now exempt from the seven-hour work day.
Photo: RNZI / Monica Miller
When the reduction in hours was first announced, the only exempted employees were doctors, nurses and teachers.
A few days after Governor Lolo Molisa announced the seven-hour work day at a cabinet meeting on 5 April, an anonymous contract employee, notified the Governor's Office that if the plan went ahead a complaint would be laid for declaratory and injunctive relief.
Now a memo from the governor included two-year and short term contract employees in the list of exempted employees.
The governor said the situation would be monitored and after 90 days, further action would be taken as necessary.
Lolo had initially said that a shortfall in collections and uncertainty in federal grants under the Trump administration forced the cost containment measure.