Northeast Desk, 12th July: In a significant move to enhance the work-life balance of its employees, the Government of Sikkim has announced that the 2nd and 4th Saturdays of every month will now be official holidays. This decision was outlined in a circular issued by the Department of Personnel today.
The circular, signed by the Secretary to the Government of Sikkim, specifies that all government offices will operate from 10:00 AM to 4:30 PM on working days. This change addresses recent observations of employees arriving late and leaving early, which has disrupted government operations and caused public inconvenience.
“Lately, it is seen that many government employees are reporting for duty very late in the morning and leaving office much before the scheduled time in the evening,” the circular noted. “This hampers the implementation of development-oriented policies and programs of the Government.”
To ensure punctuality, the circular mandates that department heads conduct surprise attendance checks and periodic inspections. Employees arriving after 10:30 AM or leaving before 4:30 PM without valid reasons will have half a day’s casual leave deducted from their leave account. Absentees without proper leave recorded will face a full day’s casual leave deduction.
Additionally, the circular discourages the submission of leave applications through SMS or WhatsApp, insisting instead on proper paper applications.
This initiative reflects the government’s commitment to fostering a disciplined and efficient workforce while providing employees with more structured time off to balance their professional and personal lives.