Dept heads can have own method to monitor presence of officers WFH during CMCO

Public Service Department (PSD) director-general Tan Sri Mohd Khairul Adib Abd Rahman said officers who have been instructed to work from home (WFH) must comply with the rules and regulations and that disciplinary action could be against those found flouting them.

He said officers who are directed or allowed to WFH should always be at home within the working hours set by the government; always ready if instructed by the department head to come to office or to be at any other location and to ensure that they can always be reached or contacted during working hours. “Officers who have been instructed to WFH and found to be in breach of the stipulated regulations, the department head may take disciplinary action against them in accordance with the Public Officers (Conduct and Discipline) Regulations 1993 [PU (A) 395/1993]," he said in a circular on compliance with regulations on WFH that was issued today.

He said disciplinary action could also be taken against government officers who have been punished by the court or compounded for violating rules and regulations under the Movement Control Order (MCO).

A circular on the Directive for Attendance of Federal Public Service Officers in Selangor, Sabah, Kuala Lumpur, Putrajaya and Labuan during CMCO was issued last Oct 21 in support of the government's efforts to curb the spread of COVID-19 by ensuring minimal movement in areas under CMCO.

Mohd Khairul Adib said the circular stated that the presence of federal civil service officers in the office is at a level controlled by the respective department heads to ensure the basic service of the ministry or agency is affected and continued to be accessed by their clients.

He said the department heads should ensure that all officers, whether they are working in the office or at home, are given balanced tasks.

"All tasks given must have clear output or requirement to facilitate monitoring," he said, adding that the directive was also extended to all state civil services, statutory authorities and local authorities that are affected by the CMCO.