'Reach office by 9:15 am or lose half-day leave': Centre warns employees

The Centre has issued a circular instructing employees nationwide to record their attendance using the Aadhaar-enabled biometric system

Cracking the whip on “latecomers”, the Centre has directed its employees across the country to arrive for work by no later than 9:15 am, which includes a 15-minute grace period.

The Department of Personnel and Training (DoPT) has issued a circular, instructing employees to reach their offices by 9:15 am and record their attendance using the Aadhaar-enabled biometric system, the Times of India reported on Saturday.

Staff members have been cautioned that half-day casual leave will be deducted in case they do not turn up by 9.15 in the morning, the circular said.

 

The Central government offices function from 9 am to 5:30 pm.

"Habitual late coming and early leaving of office should be viewed seriously and discouraged. Action against the same may be initiated," the circular said.

Due to the Covid-19 pandemic, the usage of the Aadhaar-enabled biometric attendance system was suspended. The order to resume using biometric services was first issued in 2022.

'Staff must inform about leaves in advance'

According to the report, the circular has asked employees to inform in advance if they are unable to attend office on a given day, for which a casual leave needs to be applied.

The report further shared the view of senior officers, who said they had no fixed working hours as they leave after 7 pm. They also said that the increased digitisation has made many files available to them electronically, which gives them scope to work from home as well.

Impact of Covid-19 pandemic on work culture

The Covid-19 pandemic has reshaped work culture significantly, moving away from traditional norms. Employees in both public and private sectors argue that work-from-home culture, mandated during lockdowns, has actually enhanced their productivity levels.

While many companies maintain flexibility for employees to work remotely, others advocate for the benefits of in-office presence.

Recently, some IT firms, like Tata Consultancy Services, have tied office attendance to variable pay incentives to encourage more regular attendance. Meanwhile, Cognizant made headlines in May when it warned employees about potential termination for not complying with in-office attendance rules. This directive came after Cognizant asked its employees in February to be in office thrice a week.