Employees’ misconduct to be kept in personal records from now on

KATHMANDU, July 10: Incidents involving misconduct and disciplinary violations by civil servants will now be recorded in their personal records.

These records will be maintained by the Department of National Personnel Records (Civil) following directives issued by the Council of Ministers and the Office of the Prime Minister and Council of Ministers (OPMCM). Director General of the department, Shravan Kumar Pokharel, said the department received the directives from the Cabinet and the Prime Minister's Office two days ago.

The record-keeping process has begun through a joint initiative of the National Vigilance Centre (NVC) and the department. Based on information provided by the NVC, department officials will record incidents of misconduct and disciplinary violations committed by civil servants in the Personal Information System (PIS).

This is the first time that details of employees' misconduct are being recorded in the PIS.

Pokharel said, "The directives issued by the Office of the Prime Minister and the Council of Ministers have begun to be implemented. This is the first time we are maintaining such records in the PIS."

The Civil Service Act, 1993, requires incidents of negligence and disciplinary violations committed by civil servants in the course of their duties to be included in their personal records. However, the provision had not been effectively implemented until now. Officials at the department said this is the first time the system has been put into practice.

Section 55(A) of the Civil Service Act states that if an employee fails to maintain punctuality, disobeys a superior's instructions while performing official duties, or displays negligence or delays in carrying out responsibilities, the supervisor may seek an explanation and issue a warning. Details of such warnings must be included in the employee's personal record.

According to the department, employees' punctuality, compliance with official instructions, and any instances of negligence or delay will now be recorded in the PIS.

The NVC will regularly monitor government offices to assess whether employees maintain punctuality and wear the prescribed uniform.

If monitoring finds that an employee is late or not wearing the proper uniform, the head of the concerned office will issue a warning. Details of such warnings and notices will also be entered into the employee's PIS record.

Department officials say maintaining such records will help authorities assess employees' conduct and work performance when making decisions related to transfers, promotions, and other administrative matters. It will also make it easier to determine where an employee should be posted and what responsibilities should be assigned.

"Until now, we did not record misconduct in the PIS. We are starting that now," a department official said.

Meanwhile, the government has issued a code of conduct for civil servants prohibiting them from taking photos or videos while wearing their official uniform except for promotional or educational purposes. They are also barred from using Facebook during office hours.

The code states: "During office hours in offices, campuses or in the field, employees shall not take photos or videos or upload them on social media while wearing their official uniform, unless the content is for promotional or educational purposes."

It further states: "When using social media platforms such as Facebook, X (formerly Twitter), WhatsApp, LinkedIn and TikTok, employees must exercise the highest level of caution and act in accordance with the professional code of conduct so as not to compromise the dignity and integrity of the civil service."

The code also requires employees to perform their duties without waiting for instructions, wear the prescribed uniform and identity card, and carry out their responsibilities impartially without yielding to undue influence, pressure or temptation.

It further states that employees "must remain loyal to the government and assist in policy formulation, programme development and implementation."

The code of conduct contains 11 detailed provisions governing employees' conduct.