Turn up 15 minutes late and lose half a day’s pay, Bangalore University tells staff

Bangalore University takes a tough stand after employees remain absent without permission

Bangalore University staff must be wary of appearing late to work because even if they show up late by 15 minutes, they will lose half a day’s salary.

The varsity issued a circular asking both its teaching and non-teaching staff to follow the rule, enforced after several of them were irregular to work and failed to maintain the working hours or sign the movement register, besides going out uninformed during working hours.

Varsity officials said many staff members ignored instructions to sign the attendance register on entry and exit. “This causes inconvenience and delay in completing work. Except a few, all the departments ignored it,” said an official.

The university will carefully monitor working hours. The circular has mentioned lunch break as 1.30 pm to 2 pm and a grace period of 10 minutes. “If anybody turns up late after the 10-minute grace period, that employee will lose half a day from his casual leave. In case there are no casual leaves remaining, then he/she will lose half day of the paid leave,” reads the circular.

Employees have been advised to make entries in the movement register if they are going out on an emergency. Failure to make entries will be considered unauthorised absence. If they are found absent for half a day, they lose half a day of salary and allowances.

Staff should also furnish the reason and sign the movement register at the department while going out on emergency, besides taking permission of the head of the department. The emergency permission cannot be more than 30 minutes. If they are required to be absent for more than 30 minutes, they should apply for leave, failure of which would be taken as unauthorised absence.

The circular says the system will be in place until the biometric attendance is implemented at the university.

Teaching staff unhappy

Dismayed by the rules, teaching staff said it may lead to workplace harassment. “In some departments, there are differences between teachers and HODs and (enforcing the rules) may lead to harassment,” said a senior teacher from a postgraduate department.

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