Centre resumes biometric system for employees, stops work from home

The Department of Personnel and Training (DoPT) issued an office memorandum on February 16, 2022 ordering stopping of work from home system for central government employees and resumption of biometric system for office attendance.

This will apply to every employee working in the Central government's ministries and departments. The DoPT said while referring to the earlier office memorandum on January 31, 2022, "Since the period of suspension of biometric attendance is over on 15.02.2022, all the officers, officials working in this Department are required to mark their attendance in the Aadhaar Enabled Biometric Attendance Control System (AEBAS) with effect from February 16, 2022."

All officials will be required to follow preventive measures to contain the spread of COVID-19 while marking their attendance in the Aadhaar Enabled Biometric Attendance Control System.

COVID-19 restrictions lifted

The Ministry of Personnel, Public Grievances and Pension had directed all the Central Ministries and Departments to cut down office attendance to 50 percent amid the third wave of COVID-19 caused due to the highly transmissible Omicron variant.

Since then, all central government ministries and departments were functioning with 50 percent staff and the rest were working from home. 

With the latest change in guidelines, now all central government employees will be required to report to office on a daily basis taking all precautionary measures. 

All officers and staff will be required to ensure strict compliance of Covid-appropriate behaviour such as frequent washing of hands, wearing of face mask, sanitisation, face cover and observing social distancing at all times. 

No exemptions

Earlier, the differently-abled employees and pregnant women employees were exempted from attending office. Now, all employees will be required to attend the office physically.