Civil servants will, for the first time, be allowed a 30-minute buffer period to report for duty without being immediately recorded as late under amendments to the Civil Service Regulation.

Published in the Government Gazette, the amendment introduces a new buffer time provision allowing employees who are unable to arrive at work on time due to exceptional circumstances to adjust their working hours without obtaining prior approval, provided they report to the office within 30 minutes of the official start time.

Employees making use of the buffer period must notify their institution's Human Resources section and provide the reason for their late arrival before the end of the working day, or follow the reporting procedures established by their respective institution.

Under the amended regulation, any time used during the buffer period must be made up by extending the employee's working hours. For example, an employee whose official working hours begin at 8:00 a.m. but arrives at 8:15 a.m. will be required to work until 2:15 p.m. to complete the required hours.

The regulation states that employees arriving more than 30 minutes after the official start of work will not qualify for the buffer period and will be recorded as late.

The amendments also introduce specific working hour requirements for mosque employees. Muezzins are required to report to the mosque at least five minutes before each prayer, while other mosque staff must arrive 15 minutes before prayer time to prepare the premises. The regulation further requires employees to remain at the mosque for at least 30 minutes during each prayer period and complete a minimum of five working hours each day.