The State government has exempted its employees who are pregnant or aged above 55 with co-morbidities from attending official duties during the COVID-19 lockdown. The exempted period will be treated as duty “on producing medical certificates”.
A government order issued by Chief Secretary K. Shanmugam said that “the period of absence of government employees during the lockdown from March 25 to May 17 be treated as duty, since no transport facility was available”.
Officials who applied for eligible leave prior to March 25, but were not able to rejoin duty up to May 3, will be treated as “deemed to have joined duty on their date of completion of the leave.”
Those who did not attend office as per 50% roster drawn on May 18 (after the arrangement of minimum transport) even for a day, shall submit leave applications, the G.O. stated.
The government order said that staff on medical treatment other than for COVID-19 infection may be sanctioned “UEL on M.C.” if applied (medical certificate must).
For those who tested positive for COVID-19 or were quarantined due to infection of family members or were staying in containment zones, the entire period of treatment/quarantine, as certified by appropriate medical authorities, will be treated as Special Casual Leave. For differently-abled employees, the exemption granted by the Welfare of Differently-abled Persons Department from time to time will be considered and will be treated to have been on duty.
These guidelines will be applicable to employees of commissions, boards, corporations, universities, companies, institutions and societies of the State government till the end of the lockdown.
