The Cabinet Division has issued a stern directive requiring all government, semi-government, and autonomous institution employees to strictly adhere to prescribed office hours.

The order emphasizes that punctual attendance and remaining at the workplace for the full duration of the shift are mandatory requirements.

The directive, sent to all senior secretaries, divisional commissioners, and deputy commissioners, cites the Government Employees (Regular Attendance) Rules, 2019 and the Secretariat Instructions, 2024.

Under these regulations, staff must arrive by 9:00 am and are prohibited from leaving before the end of official hours. For field-level officials, the letter explicitly mandates prior approval from appropriate authorities before leaving their duty stations, even on weekly or public holidays.

Reinforcing this move, the Ministry of Law, Justice and Parliamentary Affairs issued a separate order on Monday, classifying unauthorized absences, late arrivals, and early departures as punishable offenses.

The ministry outlined specific schedules, stating that during the upcoming month of Ramadan, staff are prohibited from leaving before 3:30 pm.

Once the fasting month concludes, the departure time will revert to 5 pm.

To ensure transparency, any official needing to leave their desk for urgent or official business during work hours must now obtain formal permission from their respective sub-division heads, such as a Joint Secretary or Solicitor.

The government warned that failure to comply with these attendance protocols will result in immediate disciplinary action as part of a broader effort to restore professional accountability within the civil service.

With Inputs from UNB