Last week, I wrote about the behaviors of government employees—some are exemplary, while others can be characterized as “rotten apples.” I came across Civil Service Commission of the Philippines (CSC) Memorandum Circular No. 1, signed in 2017, which details government police on office hours, and they note: “Everyone needs to account for their attendance when assigned in the field or even attending official business such as seminars and trainings. Such should be reported using the proper forms that will serve as their daily attendance record.”
The memorandum also lists penalties for tardiness and unauthorized absences. In addition, it also discusses “loafing,” which refer to frequent unauthorized absences, which can result in inefficiency and such non-performance can adversely affect the public—a “grave offense” for government workers. According to the CSC, a first offense leads to a suspension of six months to one year, while a second offense can lead to dismissal.
Complaints have been lodged after bad experiences with certain government employees and, sometimes, a bad employee is apparent in the first encounter. Some appear to be always angry, while others are occupied with their computer (but are really just browsing social media). Additionally, there are those who are not in the office, possibly attending to some separate (unofficial) business. If field personnel are out of the office, how do their superiors know they are conducting official business?
The CSC has reminded government workers they may face dismissal for violating work hours.
This is also unfair to the good employees whose higher-ups tolerate poor behavior. The “bad eggs” are hard to eliminate for many reasons, which is why the overall culture in government service needs to be improved. The public office is a public trust./WDJ