KUWAIT CITY, October 26: Undersecretary of the Ministry of Education, Mansour Al-Daihani, issued a circular regarding the new official working hours under the flexible working hours system, which will come into effect on November 3 . will be divided into two teams. The start of the first shift will be between 7:00 a.m. and 8:00 a.m., for a total working time of seven working hours. Employees will have the option to choose their start time in this window. If an employee arrives late, he or she must complete the required hours of work before the end of the day. The following describes flexible work schedules as specified in the decision:

Article 1 – The start of official working hours is set from 7:00 a.m. to 8:00 a.m. so that employees can choose what time they wish to start their work. The working schedule is calculated from the moment of presence until the end of seven consecutive hours, the daily duration of work not being less than seven hours. Employees should not be absent from work for any reason without coordinating with their direct supervisor and obtaining prior authorization. It is also prohibited to leave before the end of the working day, unless authorized by the competent supervisor. All employees are required to respect the indicated attendance and departure times. Appropriate action will be taken in the event of violations.

Article 2 – Fingerprint attendance, or any other available method, will be used to track attendance and departure times. The number of working hours planned will be determined by the instructions and regulations in force.

Article 3 – Employees whose nature of work requires overtime beyond official working hours may have those hours compensated in accordance with established procedures. Leave hours will be calculated from the start or end of official working hours, it being specified that leave does not exceed two hours per day. If an employee is late for official work hours, he or she must make up the missed time after the end of daily work hours until the required hours are completed. Any delays or leave taken during the day will be tracked and deducted from the annual leave balance or deducted from the employee’s salary.

Article 4 – Employees are required to perform their duties efficiently and adhere to official work schedules, and are held administratively responsible for any violations of these instructions. Employees must perform the duties described in their job descriptions by approved regulations. All employees are required to comply with regulations and instructions issued by the ministry regarding procedures and work schedules. Absences from work without a legitimate excuse are not permitted. Disciplinary sanctions as described in relevant laws and regulations will be applied in cases of violations.

This new system applies to all sectors of the Ministry of Education, including general departments, school districts and affiliated departments. It is necessary that all employees agree to report at specified times or provide an acceptable official apology.