COVID related attendance exemption withdrawn. Attendance mandatory for all

The DoPT has issued an order making it mandatory for all central government employees to attend office on working days. (Read the order: Preventive measures to contain the spread of Novel Coronavirus (COVID-19) — Attendance of Central Government officials regarding.) The only exemption is for those employees residing in containment zones, who shall be exempted from coming to office till their containment zone is de-notified. They should work from home and shall be available on telephone and electronic means of communications at all times. The employees will have to follow staggered timings to avoid over-crowding in offices which will be decided by the heads of department.

The order has been issued as the number of active Covid-19 cases in the country have declined significantly.

The Centre had in May asked 50 per cent of its employees below the level of Deputy Secretary to work from their offices while implementing different time slots in its effort to further check the spread of the coronavirus.

“The government servants at all levels are to attend office on all working days without any exemption to any category of employees,” said the order issued late Saturday to all the central government departments.

The order states the Biometric attendance shall continue to be suspended until further orders. It also says that Meetings, as far as possible, may continue to be conducted with video-conferencing and personal meetings with visitors, unless absolutely necessary in the public interest, are to be avoided.

Read the order here