PC to allow home ministry employees flexi-hours

Home Minister P. Chidambaram will soon introduce flexi-hours for employees in his ministry. Attendance norms will be relaxed, so long as employees put in 40 hours a week.

Home Minister P. Chidambaram will soon introduce flexi-hours for employees in his ministry. Attendance norms will be relaxed, so long as employees put in 40 hours a week.

HT Image

Under the new norms, officials stuck in Delhi’s peak hour traffic jams will be excused if they are late by 30 minutes. Occassionally, they can also cite social obligations or doctor consultation and come late by two hours or leave two hours early.

But they will have to make up for the lost time, preferably on the same day and in any case, in the same week.

“The duration of late coming/early departure is to be compensated by devoting such extra hours of work so as to ensure the 40-hour work schedule for the entire week is maintained,” Home Secretary G.K. Pillai said.

The fresh instructions were issued on representations from home ministry officials who met him last week. They are understood to have pointed out the practical problems faced by staff members due to the biometric attendance system installed last September.

Central government offices have a 9 a.m. to 5.30 p.m. schedule with an half-an-hour lunch break in between.

“We had pointed if an official had to take a family member to the doctor, there was no way he, or she, could reach by 9 p.m. since CGHS dispensaries open at 7.30 a.m,” an home ministry official familiar with the representation said.