Contractual, outsourced employees to get full salary for curfew period

The government has over 50,000 employees working on contract, engaged through outsourcing or daily wages, or in different departments

The Punjab government on Wednesday decided that full salary will be paid to all its employees, including regular, contractual, outsourced and daily-wagers, for the entire duration of curfew, which has been imposed to check spread of coronavirus.

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Instructions were issued to the special chief secretary, financial commissioners, heads of departments, commissioners of divisions, deputy commissioners, the Punjab and Haryana high court and the finance department.

said that in view of the government’s decision to enforce the 21-day lockdown to contain the spread of Covid-19, there may be cases where outsourced, contractual persons of daily-wage workers have been advised to stay at home which under normal circumstances would result in deduction of their wages.

“In view of the current circumstances, it has been decided that whenever any person working in the departments or other organisations of the state government are required to stay at home in view of curfew orders, they will be treated as on-duty and full wages will be paid accordingly,” read the letter tweeted by special chief secretary, revenue, KBS Sidhu.

The government has over 50,000 employees working on contract, engaged through outsourcing or daily wages, or in different departments.

The instructions have been issued to avoid any hassle to the staff. The orders will also apply to all public sector undertakings, boards, corporations and statutory bodies.