Civil servants permitted to work from home during emergencies under new regulation amendment

Civil servants have been allowed to work from home without attending office in cases of emergencies, under a new amendment to the Maldives Civil Service regulations.

The regulations were gazetted on Thursday under the 19th Amendment to the Civil Service regulations.

According to the amendment, employees may work out of office only after signing a special agreement prescribed by the agency. The agreement requires the employee to maintain confidentiality of work details, agency information and all sensitive data. However, professions that require physical presence in the office are exempt from this arrangement. These include teachers, nurses and senior management staff.

Absences from office may be granted based on a written request from a health worker registered with the Ministry of Health or a competent overseas authority, at the discretion of the head of the civil service of that authority. Permission will be granted only if the employee’s duties can be carried out appropriately outside the office.

The agency must also ensure that the employee has the necessary facilities and a safe working environment. Supervisors are required to monitor the employee’s work on a daily basis while ensuring that no services provided by the agency are interrupted under such an arrangement.

“The employee’s absenteeism or the completion of those duties assigned to the employee will be supervised and monitored on a daily basis while ensuring that no services provided by the agency are interrupted,” the amendment states.

Employees permitted to work in absentia must report to the office if notified by the authority.

The agency also reserves the right to terminate the permit if it finds that the employee is not performing the duties assigned to them.