Odisha: Departments deduct home quarantine as leave, employees wary

BHUBANESWAR:  Resentment is brewing among Government employees as some departments have started counting the home quarantine period as leave of those who follow the Covid-19 protocol after detection of positive cases in their families.

Several departments are treating the home isolation period of their staff as leave though they are not infected but have to stay away from their work as their families are Covid-19 positive.

The quarantine period is debited from their earned leave (EL) which they are entitled to surrender and encash.

In a similar situation, an OAS officer of General Administration department said, such a move not only violates the March 19, 2020 order of the Government but will create a situation when even asymptomatic Covid positive staff will report duty to save their earned leave.

As a preventive measure to contain the spread of coronavirus, the GA department issued an order on March 19 which said that all employees should look out for symptoms of coronavirus and if feeling unwell, should leave the workplace immediately after informing the superior officer. 

“They should avail leave for home quarantine for a period of 14 days. Leave necessary for quarantine purpose in excess of this period shall be treated as ordinary leave wherever admissible and may be considered under Rule 5 of Odisha Service Code,” the order said.

Similar provision was applicable to Government employees who were residing with a family member who had returned from a visit from abroad.

However, the order has nothing specific for those Government employees who are not infected but some members of their families are tested positive for the virus.

A Government college teacher who tested negative even after detection of coronavirus in her husband and son is in home quarantine. 

Her college authority sought a clarification from the Higher Education department how to treat her leave.

The department is reported to have clarified that the leave be adjusted against her earned leave.