The General Administration department has issued an order granting exemption from biometric punching for Kerala government employees involved in special duties. Effective from August 1, this order applies to all government establishments.
Under the new norms, employees working on a shift basis or outside regular office hours will have their punching delinked from the payroll software, ensuring their salaries remain intact. However, certain conditions must be met to qualify for this exemption.
Employees falling under this category must continue to punch in their attendance, with their superiors responsible for recording their working hours and updating them in the payroll software, known as SPARK (the integrated payroll and accounts information system for government employees in the state). Additionally, those who are assigned shift duty at short notice need to upload the relevant order on SPARK and submit an On-Duty (OD) certification.
Introduced earlier this year, the biometric punching system aimed to address issues like tardiness and early departures among government employees. It has been implemented across semi-government bodies, local self-government institutions, and government-funded organizations.
In addition to the exemption for specific roles, the order outlines further guidelines:
– Employees who have been unable to update their fingerprints on Aadhaar despite multiple attempts are exempted from punching.
– For employees working in offices different from their original workplace or those on deputation, signing the attendance register will suffice if no punching system is available.
– In cases where an employee forgets to punch in, attendance can only be marked manually twice a year. If technical issues or power outages prevent punching, an application must be submitted to the Drawing and Disbursing Officer (DDO) for attendance regularization.
– If an employee fails to report for work beyond the grace period allowed on SPARK, even if it is regularized as leave, the grace period will not be restored.
– Employees required to work outside their offices should not use the punching system.
– Overtime work exceeding 10 hours per month will be compensated with a day of leave. Any work beyond 7 hours per day will be considered as overtime duty.
These new norms aim to strike a balance between ensuring efficient attendance tracking and accommodating the unique requirements of certain government employees in Kerala.
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