Civil Service Regulations Revised to Allow Work From Home for Parents of PWDs

Civil Service Regulations have been revised to allow civil servants who are parents or guardians of persons with disabilities to work from home under three defined circumstances.

The amendment requires work-from-home requests to be supported by documentation issued by a medical professional. The document must indicate the level of assistance required by the person with disability in their daily life.

Under the new framework, civil servants who are parents or guardians of persons with disabilities will be classified into three categories.

Category 1 applies to parents or guardians of persons with disabilities who are completely dependent on others for daily activities. Civil servants in this category will be permitted to work entirely from home.

Category 2 covers individuals with persons with disabilities who require a moderate level of assistance. Category 3 applies to those whose dependants do not require assistance from others in their daily life. Employees in these two categories will only be permitted to work from home when it is absolutely necessary for them to stay with their child or dependent.

If civil servants in Category 2 or 3 are required to spend more than half of their official working hours caring for their dependent, they must be allowed to work from home for the entire day.

State institutions are required to assess several factors before approving remote working arrangements. These include ensuring that the employee’s assigned tasks can be completed from home and confirming that the employee has adequate resources and working conditions at home.

Institutions are also responsible for assigning and monitoring work performance to ensure that public services are not disrupted.

Civil servants must attend their workplace when instructed by their employer under circumstances where physical presence is necessary. Failure to complete assigned work may result in cancellation of the work-from-home permit.

Employees who are granted remote working permission must sign an agreement that includes a confidentiality clause.

The new policy states that teachers, nurses and senior employees whose duties require physical presence are not eligible for work from home arrangements. However, these professionals must be provided with flexible working options where possible.