WFH order: Public sector allowed maximum 30% physical workforce, says PSD D-G

PETALING JAYA: Public sector offices have been allowed a maximum of 30% staff to be physically present from Thursday (Oct 22) until the end of the conditional movement control order (MCO), says Public Service Department director- general Tan Sri Mohd Khairul Adib Abd Rahman.

He said the decision was made to ensure that the services at the respective agencies will not be affected and can continue to be accessed by the public based on the respective ministries, agencies and department's customers charter.

"The directive to work from home exclude those providing the service delivery of essential services which is determined by the head of departments in line with the government circular letter dated March 17," he said in a statement on Wednesday (Oct 21).

This followed a government directive on Tuesday (Oct 20) for public and private sectors in areas under the conditional movement control order (MCO) to work from home (WFH) starting Thursday.

Senior Minister (Security Cluster) Datuk Seri Ismail Sabri Yaakob had said about one million workers in the two sectors in Kuala Lumpur, Putrajaya, Selangor, Labuan and Sabah will be affected by the order.

Mohd Khairul Adib said for this purpose, the head of departments have been ordered to ensure that all staff at the management and supervisory level of each ministries, agencies and departments, which are not needed full time, to be scheduled to work from home, either based on rotation or full time, so that their attendance could be optimised at a minimum level during the conditional MCO is enforced.

At the same time, he said that all face-to-face activities in the civil service departments including meetings, discussions or trainings are to be done online during the period.

"Official secret documents are not allowed to be brought home throughout the period," he said.

However, the head of departments are allowed to give due consideration based on the importance of the task to allow civil servants to bring official secret documents either soft or hard copy subject to the standard operating procedure (SOP) that have been set by the government, he added.

"As part of a continuos effort to curb the spread of Covid-19, the head of departments have to ensure that all of the regulations, SOP and government circulars issued by the National Security Council, Health Ministry and the PSD are followed.

"The directives have also been forwarded to the respective state PSD offices, statutory bodies, and local governments authorities under the purview from the beginning until the end of the conditional MCO, subject to the orders announced by the government," noted Mohd Khairul Adib.

Sabah’s conditional MCO is expected to end on Oct 26, while the order is until Oct 27 for Klang Valley and Putrajaya, subject to the government’s decision on the need for a further extension.