THIRUVANATHAPURAM: A government order has exempted employees who have to work after office hours and those who work on a shift basis from linking punching with salary. Higher authorities can record their working hours and add them to Spark, a payroll software. Those who have to switch to shift duty suddenly should upload the same in Spark. The General Administration Department has clarified that the order applicable to all institutions under the government will be implemented from next month.

Leave from the 16th of one month to the 15th of next month will be treated as unauthorized leave and salary will be deducted if not given through SPARK. Salary will be sanctioned later on applying for leave. Those who failed to update their fingerprints in Aadhaar despite repeated attempts were excluded from punching.

Those working in other offices and those on deputation need to sign the attendance book if there is no punching system there. If punching is not possible due to technical or electrical faults, a separate application should be made to arrange attendance. Absence from work exceeding the grace period will not restore lost grace time even if it is treated as leave.

Other guidelines

Employees who are on duty outside for the whole day should not punch

Employees on duty outside after noon should record punch-in before 2 pm and punch out after 5.15 pm

Those who work 10 hours or more in a month will be allowed leave of overtime

Working more than 7 hours a day is considered overtime

Even if you come to duty on public holidays, you must punch. Leave will be granted instead

Gazetted officers are not entitled to compensatory off