NEC approved proposed public service time and attendance policy

The National Executive Council  recently endorsed a proposed public service time and attendance system policy to manage uncontrolled absenteeism of large numbers of public servants.
Prime Minister Peter O'Neill said Cabinet endorsed the proposed policy and reiterated that many ministers and governors were concerned about poor time keeping and daily attendance of public servants, resulting in poor service delivery over the years.
"Our elected representatives are simply voicing the concerns of their constituents who continue to suffer by officers' poor attendance and incompetency at work," O'Neill said.
He said in order to impose strict discipline on time-keeping and attendance, there must be a consistent recording system in place.
"Each agency head must be able to judge the performance of individual officers against the rules.
"There is a General Order requiring that every department keeps a manual or journal to enable officers to sign in and sign out stating their times of commencing and finishing work daily," the Prime Minister said.
He further announced that Cabinet also approved various pilot sites to test and develop the payroll linked electronic monitoring and control systems.
"This will introduce a compulsory electronic controlled time and attendance system across the public service to improve productivity and service delivery,"  O'Neill said.
Further, the Prime Minister said the proposed policy woulf improve productivity as measured by the improvements in attendance at the workplace and is targeted to improve at a 20% rate.
"The Department of Personnel Management has been directed by Cabinet to set up a Timekeeping & Attendance Taskforce headed by its Secretary (Chairman) and work with other lead agencies to establish and coordinate this project, " O'Neill said.