'Give work from home priority to those with childcare issues'

Public Service Department (PSD) director-general Mohd Khairul Adib Abd Rahman said the implementation of the recovery movement control order (MCO) tomorrow, will see a hike in civil servants' presence in line with the opening of economic and social sectors, including schools.

The services of ministries and government agencies would recover with office attendance exceeding 70 percent during this time.

To ensure continuous service delivery at the 100 percent level, he said all public services sector division directors have to balance the need to have their employees in the office and working at home.

"Consideration of work from home flexibility should be given to those who are still facing childcare issues while waiting for school to reopen," he said in a message to civil servants today.

In addressing the ongoing Covid-19 pandemic situation, he urged all PSD personnel to give priority on ensuring the safety and health of their family, friends and office colleagues.

"If we pose a risk of infection or outbreak, it is imperative that we act promptly as directed by the authorities.

‘’At the department level, every effort will be made to ensure that the working environment complies with the standard operating procedure (SOP) announced by the Health Ministry and the National Security Council (NSC)," he said.

He said the division directors were also asked to monitor and ensure a conducive and safe environment to give public servants the confidence to return to the office.

Mohd Khairul (photo) said urgency in proactive action is a must to help rebuild the country's economic sector.

"Obviously, many are impacted in terms of income and employment by Covid-19. Even though we are not directly affected by this situation, the challenging task ahead of us is to help the private sector to redevelop the business and economic sectors.

“In this regard, civil servants must be sensitive and responsive to the needs of clients and stakeholders. The urgency of our actions, professionalism and facilitation will certainly drive the country's economic recovery," he said.

There will be no tolerance for unproductive civil servants and lack of integrity as competition in the workforce is increasing with more people looking to work to earn a living, he said. 

Obviously the services, contributions and discipline of civil servants are especially needed in the situation of the country which is in the midst of the most challenging health and economic crises today, he added.

- Bernama