Friday, June 13, 2008

Kesan Kenaikan Harga Minyak ke Atas Motivasi Pekerja (IX)

Second Job Not The Answer

By Sim Leoi Leoi
The Star Online, 12 June 2008

PUTRAJAYA: Civil servants should change their lifestyle if they are finding it hard to cope, and not seek part-time work.

Public Service Department director-general Tan Sri Ismail Adam said their productivity and performance would inevitably be affected if they sought part-time work.

"Many heads of department are reluctant to approve such requests because they want to make sure their staff are not too tired to carry out their day jobs," he said in an interview yesterday.

Ismail said civil servants, regardless of their rank, were permitted to take up part-time jobs under the Public Officers (Conduct and Discipline) Amendment Regulations 2002.

However, they must first seek the permission of their heads of department.

"Any part-time work should not affect their productivity or performance. This ruling is still in effect," he said.

"For instance, if a civil servant was allowed to drive a taxi, he might have to work until midnight or 2am and thus, his productivity at the office might suffer," he said.

"It is better for Cuepacs (the civil servants union) to advise their members to change their lifestyle instead," he said.

Ismail said he had reminded department heads that the ruling was still in effect in a meeting on Monday.

"However, the decision whether to let their staff work part-time ultimately rests with them. I will issue an official statement on this later to clarify matters," he said.

Ismail was commenting on a statement by Minister in the Prime Minister’s Department Tan Sri Amirsham Abdul Aziz that civil servants could "moonlight" by taking up weekend jobs or businesses to supplement their income.

On Tuesday, Cuepacs president Omar Osman had claimed that the Prime Minister had given his approval for some one million civil servants to take up part-time jobs at the first National Inflation Council meeting.

Last year, when civil servants were given up to 35% in pay increases in July, Cuepacs had said its members would focus on their work and not moonlight.

Deputy Human Resources Minister Datuk Noraini Ahmad said civil servants could take on part-time weekend jobs as long as they do not neglect their core duties, reports IZATUN SHARI.

She said if the Public Services Department allowed civil servants to work after office hours, they must ensure that they did not give priority to their part-time jobs.

"We welcome it as long as civil servants know their responsibility. They must not put their part time jobs above their core or main duties and affect their productivity,” she told reporters after the launch of a guidebook on occupational safety and health at SK Taman Seri Gombak 2 here yesterday.

Amirsham had said that the Government was also looking at opportunities for those who wanted casual part-time employment at teller or counter services in the public and private sectors.

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