Systems in place to monitor public officers working remotely from home
Government has implemented systems to monitor the productivity of public officers who are working from home during the ongoing COVID-19 crisis.
Deputy Governor David Archer, Jr gave that indication on Wednesday ahead of government’s phased reopening of the public service scheduled for Monday, May 4.
“Each ministry and each department currently has a register by which you record not only the time that you put in but also the task that you’ve been doing,” the Deputy Governor stated.
“We want to be extremely accountable during this time to make sure that when you are supposed to be working you’re not sleeping, or you’re not playing, and we do have a system of accountability so we can ensure that we are getting value for money and that our clients are being served well,” he added.
Resentful public officers should seek new career choice
The Deputy Governor also expressed confidence in the public service with government’s new structure and usage of teleconferences and appointment systems during this period.
He further said a number of public officers have been deployed to new fields as government continues its restructuring process because of the pandemic.
For some, these new roles have not been sitting well, but Archer said he wants all of his public officers well engaged in their respective positions or decide on a new career choice.
“There might be that one person who doesn’t really understand the quality and the importance of working and being paid at that time,” he said.
“I don’t want heads of departments to spend their time and energy working with that person. Just have that person call me so we can have a conversation about whether or not they want to be a part of this organisation any longer or [if] they want to seek employment elsewhere,” the Deputy Governor further said.
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Well said DG
Who has time to fuss over work right now? The truth is, anyone who is anyone and still working, will not be even bothered by the usual petty things to complain.
Mr. Archer will put it to you nicely, but here’s the gritty truth: If you fail to adapt or cant leave home that short fuse, trust me in this dire time, your replacement right there in the unemployment line…READY, WILLING AND ABLE!
I’m sure that most of these officers have health issues and have already retired. They need to leave the position now and stay home permanently. Time for staff rotation, hire new people and make room for our young people to return home when the shitz stick on the fan. And this will be the NEW NORMAL!!
Its HIGH time
It is a thoughtful priority, but within the larger economic accountability scheme, the focus is directed in the wrong place, at the wrong people, at the wrong time.
Where, there are within tax payers government coffers funds that are in need of monitoring for abuse of fraud and personal redirecting of huge sums. Personal confidence in honest governance and management of public funds is long since dead.
Sadly, our people elected a group of individuals whose personal ambition is to amass as much personal wealth as possible.
In fact, it was even stated to that effect in pre- election champaigns, by a now elected official, “others before did it so i going in to do the same so shut your mouth.” That current bunch is a money loving wealth seeking bunch.
However, man will be man. Just wish that he would spread the peanut butter equally across every one’s slice. No breath being held there.
Was. NDP, the per-election scape goat, the only entity suseptible to defrauding the public pursue, if indeed it did? No evidence yet to prove that pre-election tear down the other rheteoric correct.
Is the current administration on the path of complete financial management devoid of fraud, corruption, initiatives redirection of public purse into personal intitiatives? Who knows. But the smell is high up in the air, from initial appointments to present.
All will see where a farm, fisheries and agriculture initiatives end up and produce. All will wait and see road and infrastructure expansion and developemnt, except to an onion flake covering in two to three years from now just before election.
One will wait to see an improvement in the education and public works department, where millions are initiated but little is ever seen materialy .One will wait to see an improvementin in water productivity and managemt, and an improvement in waste management and disposal.
One will wait to see scholarship directed at future of engaging technology by creating engineers. Engineers in nano technology, solar and roads infrastructure, enginerring, medical and economic construction and enginerring and others,
One will wait and see thoughtful initiatives aimed towards expansion of economic growth by the thoughtful and implementattion and development of new economic generating strategies.
One will wait and see we are i four years.
@ anonymous. Great read. U should put your name PROUDLY to this piece
We all need to stay awake and be WATCHFUL
If i we were living in land where the dominant human, social and intellectual practices were respect and building up of each other i would have put my name there.
If i was living in a land where all humanity were considered equal, i would have.
If i was living in a land where minds and mouths were programmed to and spoke to inspiring, uplifting, elevating and strengthening its own native people, i would have placed my name proudly there.
Unfortunately, we are living in a land where minds, mouths and deeds are preprogrammed lethal weapons of human destruction, therefore i cannot put my name there.
Many residents have been groaning under the strain of the lockdown but the end of the lockdown may be the beginning of more stress. In the US, the #1 economy in the world, in the last 6 weeks, approximately 30,000,000 people have filed for unemployment; this puts the unemployment rate somewhere between 14-18%; full employment is normally at or under 4%.
Tourism is 1/2 of the VI economic twin pillars and a major employer and most tourists visiting the VI come from the US. With an economic downturn, US residents have less discretionary income and travel less. Further, this pandemic will result in US residents traveling less.
The US economy is in a recession and free falling ; consequently, there are some tough times ahead for VI residents. And civil servants are privilege to have a job. In the coming months if the world economy continues to tank, government may indeed have to look at layoffs or reduced hours. Given the current situation, reassigned civil servants should be thankful that they have a job.
There is an old saying, “that nothing makes you appreciate your job more than a strong dose of unemployment.” Indeed, civil servants must provide taxpayers value for money. Getting dress to come to work to rest is not and should not be an option. And if you are at home working in your PJs, you must produce value for money. It is a privilege not have to commute and be able to work from home.
Real talk. “that nothing makes you appreciate your job more than a strong dose of unemployment.” Lol. True that. Anyone that has a job now is blessed and should cherish it. When you are unemployed and under water on meeting expenses, ie, rent/mortgage, food, car payment, phone bill, electricity bill, water bill, cable bill, credit card……..etc, it sure makes think you should have kept that job until you find another or better one. Whatever your job is be the best at it.
Congratulations to our straight talking Deputy Governor. For years and years now, those big Lazy Boy expensive leather office chairs have been sitting empty most of the time while their invisible Public employees go scooting around the Island catching the breeze, waiting for a fat salary at the end of the month ! Well said, Sir.
Feeling like parents having to home school children are going to suffer the most with this in the ‘new regular’