‘Work from home’ to make it normal in government offices after the lockout; Draft Guidelines Issued: The Tribune India



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New Delhi, May 14

Claiming that central government employees may have to work with phased attendance and variable work hours, the Ministry of Personnel has released a draft framework for “work for home” for staff after closure.

The Department of Personnel and Training (DoPT) can provide work-from-home options to eligible officials / staff for 15 days in a year as a policy, he said.

There are 48.34 lakh central government employees.

In a statement to all central government departments, the Personnel Ministry said the COVID-19 pandemic has required many ministries to operate from their homes to maintain social distancing.

“Many of the ministries / departments in the Government of India have successfully and exemplary results in combating the ongoing pandemic outbreak during the closure period by taking advantage of the electronic offices and video conferencing facilities of the National Center for Computing (NIC) This was the first experience of its kind in the Government of India, ”he said.

In the near future, the central secretariat will most likely continue to seek phased assistance and variable working hours to maintain social distancing in the workplace, the ministry said.

“Therefore, a comprehensive framework for work from home is important to standardize operating procedure even after the lockdown situation and to ensure information security, while accessing government files and information remotely. from home, “he said.

Accordingly, a new set of Standard Operating Procedures (SOP) has been finalized for employees to ensure smooth and smooth operation of the government for the continuity of office work, in addition to imparting resilience to the ecosystem even after situations of blocking.

The respective ministries / departments will provide logistical supports in the form of a laptop / desktop computer to employees.

“Ministries can use the laptop inventory on a rotating basis for officers who work from home and need that logistical support,” according to the draft guidelines.

They can also get reimbursed for Internet services they would use while working from home.

“The Department of Expenditures may consider reimbursing data usage to officers who work from home and, if necessary, may issue separate guidelines in this regard,” the draft guidelines said.

He proposed an additional protocol for all VIP and Parliament matters that require maximum attention.

“Therefore, SMS alerts for all receipts and files will be sent to the next officer on the channel,” he said.

The draft guidelines say that the ministries / departments involved, who are not yet using the electronic office module, will strive for its rapid implementation in their secretariat, attached and subordinate offices in a “time-bound manner”.

Currently, around 75 ministries / departments are actively using the electronic office platform, of which 57 have accomplished more than 80 percent of their work. E-office refers to the digitization / computerization of office work.

However, “classified documents / files” cannot be processed while working from home.

“According to the instructions of the Ministry of the Interior, no classified information will be handled through the electronic office. Therefore, classified files will not be processed in the electronic office during work from home, ”he said.

The NIC may evaluate the existing security protocol for remote access of classified files / information in consultation with the Ministry of the Interior and propose appropriate guidelines and standard operating procedures for handling classified information in the electronic office, according to the guidelines.

“So far, classified files will be processed on separate computers only as specified in the Central Secretariat Office (CSMOP) Procedural Manual,” he said.

The Personnel Ministry said the officers to whom the official laptops are provided will ensure that they do the official job only on the official device.

“NIC will make sure that your devices are well protected against malware and malicious websites. Officers working on their personal computers / laptops should make sure to install regular updates, run antivirus scans, block malicious sites, etc. with the help of NICs to ensure the security of your device against information theft, ”according to the guidelines.

Officers working from home will be available by phone according to the requirements and instructions of their officers, he said.

To facilitate inter-ministerial consultations, file sharing between ministries can be done seamlessly in the electronic office, according to the guidelines.

“The NIC’s video conferencing facilities will be leveraged to host important meetings while working from home. Officers and staff will attend meetings by activating the VC liaison sent to them by the NIC at the established formal meeting. VCs will also be used as much as possible in the office environment to maintain social distancing during the COVID 19 pandemic, ”he said.

The NIC has been asked to strengthen the CV to make it more facilitator.

“Officials who work from home must comply with all rules of the office environment while attending VC meetings,” according to the guidelines.

“All central government departments have been asked to submit their comments by May 21, from which it would be presumed that the ‘ministry / department agrees with the proposed draft,” he said.



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