Civil servants granted 30-minute buffer for late arrival

The Civil Service Regulation was amended on Thursday to introduce a 30-minute grace period for civil servants, allowing employees additional flexibility to avoid being recorded as late when unforeseen circumstances prevent them from reporting to work at the official start of the workday.

The amendment introduces a 'buffer time' provision for civil servants, a measure that was not previously included in the regulatory framework governing the civil service.

Under the revised regulation, the buffer time allows employees to adjust their working hours without obtaining prior approval on days when exceptional circumstances prevent them from arriving at the office at the start of official working hours.

The amendment grants civil servants a 30-minute grace period. Employees who make use of the buffer time are required to provide a reason and notify the Human Resources section, or follow the reporting procedures established by their respective institution, before the end of that day's official working hours.

However, the regulation stipulates that employees who arrive after the 30-minute buffer period has elapsed will be officially recorded as late.

The regulation also requires employees to make up any time used within the buffer period by extending their workday accordingly. It provides the example that if official working hours begin at 8:00am and an employee reports for duty at 8:15am using the buffer time, their workday will end at 14:15pm instead of the standard finishing time.

The Civil Service Commission continues to operate under regulations first introduced in 2014. Since then, the regulations have been amended 19 times over the past 11 years, including the latest revision introduced yesterday.