T.N. govt. brings back six-day week

T.N. govt. brings back six-day week

Starting May 18, employees will work in three batches with 50% staff strength, states a G.O.

16/05/2020, SPECIAL CORRESPONDENT,CHENNAI

Unlikely companion: A policeman patrolling Kamarajar Salai on Friday. R. Ragu

The Tamil Nadu government has brought back the six-day week, effective May 18, and has increased the working strength in all its offices from the current 33% to 50% from next Monday, with employees working in three batches, two days each.

This will be implemented in all government offices from the Secretariat to district/field-level offices, including commissions, boards, corporations, universities, companies, institutions and societies of the State government.

A government order (G.O.) to this effect was issued on Friday afternoon. As per the orders, the offices will function six days a week, including on Saturdays, with the present office timings. The G.O. said that necessary transport arrangements will be made.

All government offices shall function with half the workforce, i.e. 50%, with the first batch working for two days at the start of the week — Monday and Tuesday — the second batch on Wednesday and Thursday, followed by the first batch again on Friday and Saturday.

In the subsequent week, this schedule will be reversed with the second batch working on Monday, Tuesday, Friday and Saturday, while the first batch will work on Wednesday and Thursday. The government said that apart from this alternate working system, staff who are off-duty shall also attend office, if called, at any point of time.

All Group-A officers — staff in posts drawing level of pay from ₹59,300- 1,87,700 to ₹1,28,900- 2,25,000 (levels 25 to 32 in the pay matrix) and all heads of offices, irrespective of their levels in the pay matrix, shall attend office on all working days, the government said.

Level-jumping system

“A system of level-jumping in the submission of files in the reporting hierarchy shall be put in place by the head of the department, if necessary. All officers and staff members shall always be available for official work and accessible through any electronic mode of communication,” according to the G.O.

Departments such as police, health, district administration, treasury, local bodies and others will continue to function as per orders issued on March 25, the government said.