PAM issues circular on work timings, absence from ‘duty’

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Employees urged to adhere to contents of circular

KUWAIT CITY, July 31: Public Authority for Manpower has issued a circular concerning work timings, attendance and absence from work and reduction of work timings. The circular calls on employees to adhere to the items of the circular starting from Aug 5.

According to the circular, official work timings start at 7:30 am and end at 2:30 pm. All employees are required to register their attendance by scanning their finger during the time from 7:30 am to 8:00 am and their exit from 2:30 pm to 2:45 pm after which the fingerprint attendance devices must be switched off. Employees are not allowed to benefit from the abovementioned grace period except by 15 minutes during the Holy Month of Ramadan. Female employees are allowed to leave 15 minutes before the end time of 2:30 pm including during the Holy Month of Ramadan.

Those who do not scan their fingers before leaving within the specified time will be considered as absent. Direct supervisors are responsible for the presence of the employees under their responsibility during the specified work timings, and the supervisors or managers above that level should follow-up the matter. Delays by minutes in arriving at work are counted starting from 8.01am until the time the employee arrives, and the minutes of early exit are also counted the same way. By the end of a month, if the total delay in minutes is found to be less than quarter of a oneday’s work time, which is 105 minutes, the salary of a quarter of a working day is deducted from the monthly salary.

If the total delay is more than 105 minutes but less than half of a working day, the employee’s monthly salary will be deducted by value of half-day work. These deductions from salary are not considered as a disciplinary action and will not require special investigation. In case the total delay reaches or exceeds one whole work day, the employee’s salary will be deducted by the value of one day’s work and he/she will be referred for investigations.

Employees who cannot prove their presence at work based on the fingerprint attendance system will be considered as refraining from coming to work based on article 81 of the decree issued on April 4, 1979 concerning civil service system.

The work timing can be reduced for an employee based on reasons related to sickness, provided it is proven by a report issued by relevant medical institution determined by Minister of Health.

Employees have to commit to the specified work times and avoid taking advantage of the allotted grace period. Female employees have the right to benefit from reduction in work timings if they are pregnant or breast feeding either in the beginning or at the end of each work day.

They are not allowed to benefit from the grace periods specified in Article 17 of the Decision No. 41/2006 issued by Civil Service Commission (CSC) concerning work regulations and its amendment. They also are not allowed to link the benefits of reduced work timings specified in the circular and reduction in work timings in accordance with article 24 of the aforementioned decision.

Direct supervisors are responsible for approving permissions for the employees and informing the supervisory body. The total number of permissions by the supervisors should not exceed four times per month.

The number of hours should be determined by the direct supervisors based on the circumstances explained by the relevant employee. The total hours of permissions in one month should not exceed 12 hours. Permissions can be issued at any time of the day, provided the relevant employees scan their finger as soon as they arrive at work or leave the workplace.

By Fares Al-Abadan Al-Seyassah Staff

This news has been read 19979 times!