For all employees, City to strictly enforce tardiness rule

CEBU, Philippines - The city government will be strictly imposing its policy on tardiness after some departments have allegedly become too lenient as far as attendance of employees is concerned.

Human Resource and Development Officer Veronica Morelos sent communications to all department heads recently reminding them to be strict in the implementation of the tardiness policy, particularly City Ordinance 2142.

Morelos said it is important to strictly implement C.O. 2142 because the same has stiffer rules than Civil Service Commission Memorandum Circular No. 23-1998.

C.O. 2142 Section 4.1.h says that employees are considered as excessively tardy if he incurs unexcused tardiness for five times or an accumulated tardiness of one and a half hours within any 30-day period.

The CSC MC, on the other hand, says that an employee is considered habitually tardy if he incurs tardiness, regardless of the number of minutes, 10 times a month for at least two months in a semester or atleast two consecutive months during the year.

In a letter last month, the CSC affirmed the authority of local governments to formulate their own internal policy on attendance and punctuality if it would prevent the employees from incurring more absences and tardiness.

Thus, Morelos advised all heads to strictly follow C.O. 2142.

Morelos said that if only C.O. 2142 is followed to the letter and department heads will revisit the records of their employees, many violators would be discovered and may even be terminated immediately.

Morelos said C.O. 2142 only allows up to four offenses. She said many employees have violated this but department heads have the option to grant a one-time chance.

“They can just reprimand the employees this time but from this moment on, C.O. 2142 shall be strictly implemented,” she said.

The CSC said that violations of the rules issued by heads of offices shall also be punishable with reprimand on the first offense, suspension for one to 30 days for the second offense and dismissal on the third offense because such violations constitute the offense for Violations of Reasonable Office Rules and Regulations. – (FREEMAN)