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NOW, FLEXI-HOURS IN HOME MINISTRY

It is time for flexi-hours in the office of the Union Home Ministry.
In yet another initiative that comes close on the heels of introducing the biometric system of attendance last year, the Ministry has allowed its employees to attend to their social obligations or visit a doctor so long as they put in 40 hours of work in a week.

A maximum relaxation of two hours would be granted to the employees if they ensure 40-hour work schedule in the week.

“In exceptional cases like consultation with doctors in Central Government Health Services, hospitals, attending social obligations, late arrival in the morning, early departure in afternoon up to two hours (maximum) will be allowed subject to the conditions that prior intimation or approval of the immediate supervising officer has been obtained”, Home Secretary G. K. Pillai said in an order.

The arrangement comes in the wake of two representations made to Home Minister P. Chidambaram on November 19 last and March 3. The Minister had then assured the employees of working out a solution and subsequently asked the Home Secretary to issue an order, sources in the Ministry said.

The duration of late arrival or early departure is to be compensated by devoting extra hours of work so as to ensure that the 40 hours work schedule for the entire week is maintained, the order said.

Late coming between 15 and 30 minutes can be relaxed keeping in view transport problems, traffic congestion in the city or any other unforeseen eventuality subject to the condition that the duration of late arrival is compensated by sitting late in the evening, preferably the same day or any other day of the week, according to the order.

The biometric system of attendance was introduced in the Ministry in September last. It monitored the hours of work and employee had put in. Working hours of the Ministry are from 9 a.m. to 5.30 p.m. daily, five days a week, with a lunch-break of half-an-hour.
The Hindu - 15.03.2010