The government's Department of Personnel and Training (DoPT) has introduced a new rule requiring all employees, including senior officials, to arrive at work by 9am. Staff are expected to register their attendance through the biometric system by 9:15am at the latest, allowing for a 15-minute grace period, The Times of India reported. Those who fail to do so will have half a day's casual leave deducted.
A circular from the DoPT outlines the need for advance notice and the application of casual leave if an employee is unable to attend work on a particular day.
Junior-level employees, particularly those in public-facing roles, have been cited for their tendencies to arrive late and leave early, inconveniencing the public. Central government offices generally operate from 9 AM to 5:30 PM.
Senior officials argue that they often work beyond regular hours, sometimes leaving as late as 7pm, and therefore do not have fixed working hours.
The biometric attendance system, which was suspended during the Covid-19 pandemic, was reinstated in February 2022.
Last year, the government directed employees to resume using the system, citing the need to address habitual tardiness and early departures. Some employees have been skipping work or attending briefly in departments where IT-enabled faceless systems are implemented.
