The Public Service Commission (PSC) has directed ministries to reduce the number of workers reporting for duty to just 15% of the total workforce to curb the spread of coronavirus at workplaces.
This entails that only 15 per cent of staff, except for units providing essential services who will have higher percentages of staff on duty, will be at work while the rest will remain at home.
Those who will remain at home have been ordered to be on standby, remain in the towns and cities they are employed and be ready to be called in to provide help if the 15 per cent of staff on duty is overwhelmed. PSC Secretary Ambassador Jonathan Wutawunashe said:
We want 15 per cent of the public service to be at their respective workplaces. We want to decongest the workplaces.
Others will be on call and might be told to report for duty if those at work are overwhelmed or need to rest.
It is not every ministry where it is possible, where there are essential services that you cannot manage with 15 per cent but those are exceptions.
The PSC employs approximately 300 000 people, so about 45 000 civil servants have been recommended to report for work.