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PUNCTUALITY AND ATTENDANCE

A. Introduction of 5 Days Week

It has been decided to introduce 5 days week in the Federation. All offices of the Federation, excluding Industrial Units, shall now work for 5 days in a week with all Saturdays as closed. To make up for the closed Saturdays, the working hours per day during the 5 days of the week when the offices are open will be increased by one hour. Accordingly, the office timings shall be as under :

9.30 AM to 5.30 PMwith half an hour breakfrom 1.00 PM to 1.30 PM

(Ref. O.O. No. 7 dated 31.7.1985)

B. RMs to prescribe office timings in Branches

It has been brought to notice that in certain offices of the Federation, different office timings have been prescribed by the concerned Regional/ Branch Managers with a view to save the overtime allowance. The Matter has been examined and after considering to the views of Regional/Branch Managers, it has been decided that the Regional/Branch Managers may prescribe different office timings for office/field staff like Telex/ Teleprinter operators, staff working at Dispatch Godowns, Shops, Docks, Mandies, Class IV staff, Chowkidars, Guest-House/Maintenance Attendants and Drivers etc. in case it is felt that such work has to be performed continuously for a sufficiently longer period and it is not possible to do that work within the prescribed office timings. If the job to be performed beyond the office hours is of temporary nature and is likely to be finished within a week or 15 days, there is no need to prescribe separate office timings. While prescribing separate office timings, the concerned officers shall keep the genuine business interest of the Federation in view and it should not be done with the sole intention to save the overtime allowance.

(Ref. O.O. No. 57 dated 16.04.1987)

** O.O. No. 31 dated 17.11.1994# O.O. No. 21 dated 08.01.1996

C. Punctuality in Attendance

*(1) The importance of punctuality in the office hardly needs any emphasis. All employees are expected to maintain punctuality in attending and leaving the office except the lunch break (1.00 to 1.30 p.m.)

(i) Instances have come to the notice that some of the officers and staff members of the Federation in Head Office are not attending [leaving the office as also lunch break timings are not being observed by some of the employee]1 the office in time. All the Divisional Heads/ Section Incharge in H.O. are, therefore, directed to strictly adhere to the office timings themselves and also ensure that the staff and officers working under them are punctual in attending office. This is essential in the interest of maintaining office decorum and discipline. Slackness in punctuality is against office discipline and should be discouraged at all levels. All Divisional/Sectional Heads are expected to pay proper attention to this aspect in order to ensure maintenance of punctuality in the office.

*(ii) No indication is made in the attendance register by most of the Divisional/ Sectional Heads in case any employee is on leave/tour or away on official duty. As a result, the employee concerned is issued a memo for attending office late for which he later on represents for withdrawal being on leave etc.

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(ii) Message should be left with AMD’s PA by Divisional Heads/ Section Incharges and by other in their Sections when any officer has to remain away from the office indicating the likely duration and place of availability.

(Ref. O.O. No. 18 dated 1.12.1982)

D. Lunch Timing

It has been observed that the employees are not adhering to the prescribed lunch time from 1.00 p.m. to 1.30 p.m. It is, therefore, brought to the notice of all employees that they are required to adhere to the prescribed lunch time from 1.00 p.m. to 1.30 p.m., invariably. All Divisional and Sectional Heads are requested to ensure strict compliance of the above instructions by the Staff of their Division/Section.

(Ref. O.O. No. 68 dated 21.05.1987)

E. Introduction of Card Punching Machine in H.O.

The Card Punching Machine has been introduced for regulating the attendance of the employees/officers in Head Office. The procedure for attendance system in the NAFED Head Office will come into force w.e.f. 01.03.1999.

(i) Punching/recording system would be kept open for all employees/ officers (except Divisional Heads, Officers and Drivers of MD/ Chairman Cell). All officers/ Employees shall punch/ record their cards every time when coming or leaving the office. Working hours of office shall be from Monday to Friday 9.30 hours to 17.30 hours with lunch break 13.00 hours to 13.30 hours.

(ii). 15 minutes grace time between 9.30 a.m. to 9.45 a.m. will be allowed to all the employees/officers for punching/ recording their attendance throughout the month.

(iii). Late attendance punching/ recording between 9.45 a.m. to 10.00 a.m. for a maximum of five times in a calendar month shall be allowed.

This late coming will have to be compensated on the same day. For example if an employee has punched his/her card between 9.46 a.m. to 10.00 a.m. he/she will have to punch out at 6.00 p.m. otherwise half a day CL will be debited to his/her account.

(iv). Keeping in view distance involved

between places of residence and office and traffic dislocation involved occasionally, employees/ officers may be permitted two hours grace period/short leave once in a calendar month in the morning or evening.

(v). For the purpose of control on over time, employees should record their attendance through punching cards, on holidays and also after 5.30 p.m. or before 9.30 a.m.

(vi). EMPLOYEES ON TOUR/OD

a. On tour: Intimation about an employee/officer proceeding on tour be given in advance by individual employee/officer concerned to Personnel Section duly countersigned by controlling officer of concerned Department.

b. Official duty: In the event of an eventuality when an employee cannot punch/record his/her attendance and has to proceed on official duty from his residence while at Headquarter permission from controlling officer should be submitted to Personnel Section to regulate attendance.

(vii). All the Divisional/Sectional Heads are requested to nominate an employee in their Section for maintaining a register in respect of Officers/Employees working under them for recording the leave record/OD/short leave permission etc. which will be helpful in verifying the said details at the close of each month with the statement to be provided by Personnel Division in the first week of following month.

(viii). On the basis of certified statement received from the various

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departments/ divisions/sections, Personnel Section will make out a monthly statement and send it to concerned Department for controlling the leave records etc. and second copy to Accounts Department for verification of overtime/TA bill/Local conveyance.

(Ref: O.O. No. 12 dated 01.03.1999.)

F. Procedure to be adopted when Divisional Head is not in Office.

It has been noticed that whenever Divisional Heads are not available in Head Office because of meeting etc., in the Ministry or due to some other reason, there is nobody in their depart-ment to look after the urgent and important matters or provide necessary information to Managing Director. In order to avoid such a situation in future, all Divisional Heads are requested to indicate the name of the next officer to the Administration Deptt. who can provide necessary information to the Managing Director as and when required. The officer whose name is indicated should be properly briefed in all current business and other matters, particularly when the Divisional Head goes out of station or is on leave, to enable him to have upto date information on important subjects. The names should be sent to the undersigned within a period of one week of the issue of this Order.

These orders shall take immediate effect.(Ref. O.O. No. 40 dated 8.3.1984)

F. Weekly off for ASC Rudrapur

It has been decided that Agro Service Centre Rudrapur (Uttar Pradesh) will, hereafter, observe weekly off days on Sunday – Monday instead of Saturday – Sunday.

This order comes into force with immediate effect.

(Ref. O.O. No. 1 dated 11.4.1989)

The system of marking attendance through a Card Punching machine was introduced vide Office Order No.12 dated 01.03.99. Three machines have been provided in H.O. premises for this purpose. The Office Order in question provided the following procedure for marking attendance through these machines:-

(i) Punching/recording system would be kept open for all employees/ officers (except Divisional Heads, Officers and Drivers of MD/ Chairman Cell). All officers/ Employees shall punch/ record their cards every time when coming or leaving the office. Working hours of office shall be from Monday to Friday 9.30 hours to 17.30 hours with lunch break 13.00 hours to 13.30 hours.

(ii) 15 minutes grace time between 9.30 a.m. to 9.45 a.m. will be allowed to all the employees/officers for punching/ recording their attendance throughout the month.

(iii) Late attendance punching/ recording between 9.45 a.m. to 10.00 a.m. for a maximum of five times in a calendar month shall be allowed. This late coming will have to be compensated on the same day. For example if an employee has punched his/her card between

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9.46 a.m. to 10.00 a.m. he/she will have to punch out at 6.00 p.m. otherwise half a day CL will be debited to his/her account. (iv) Keeping in view distance involved between places of residence and office and traffic dislocation involved occasionally, employees/ officers may be permitted two hours grace period/short leave once in a calendar month in the morning or evening. (v) For the purpose of control on over time, employees should record their attendance through punching cards, on holidays and also after 5.30 p.m. or before 9.30 a.m.

During the last over five years of operation of the above system, a number of short comings have come to notice which led to its manipulation by a section of employees for their undue advantage. A few examples of such manipulation are as under:

1. Proxies are used for punching of cards. Some employees make reciprocal arrangements for punching of cards through telephonic information. Sometimes even the services of Security Guards on duty are utilized for this purpose.

2. Some of the employees punch their card and then straightaway leave the office without visiting their respective section.

3. The timings of punching as stated above are not strictly adhered to and later on when questioned, the employee state “official duty” as the reason for either coming late or leaving early.

4. The facility of five days late coming in a month and compensating it by sitting late in the evening is not properly used. While the employees punch their cards upto 10.00 A.M. in the morning, they leave office at usual timings in the evening.

5. The facility of two hours grace period once in a calendar month is used extensively and beyond the prescribed limits.

In order to overcome the above problems, it has been decided as under:

1. All the employees, except Divisional Heads, officers and drivers of MD/Chairman Cell, shall punch their cards only themselves and shall not

permit any other person to do so on their behalf. It shall be the responsibility of the concerned employee to ensure that his/her card is not punched by any other person including security guards. If such a practice is detected, both the concerned persons shall be liable for disciplinary action.2. A written permission must be obtained from the concerned Divisional Head if the employee is required to either come late in the morning or leave office early in the evening for official purposes. Such a permission must be sent to Personnel Section for verification of attendance.3. The employees must adhere to the timings stated above, otherwise they shall be liable for appropriate action.

The above instructions are issued for strict compliance. The concerned Sectional Heads are advised to report any kind of deviation to the undersigned for further action.

( Ref. Office Order No.17 dated 14.10.2004)

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