In a move sparking debate over work-life boundaries, the Punjab government has issued a serious directive. As per the new order, it is mandatory for all state government employees to remain available on their mobile phones at all times — including weekends and public holidays.
The order, circulated by the state personnel department, applies to senior officials such as special chief secretaries, additional chief secretaries, financial commissioners, principal secretaries, as well as secretaries. These officers have been instructed to ensure that none of their subordinates switch off their mobile phones after work hours. The circular underlines that officers must be reachable at all times for urgent administrative needs.
According to the notification, instances have been reported where officials were unreachable during emergencies, either due to their phones being switched off, in flight mode, or out of coverage. Such situations, the order stated, disrupted essential administrative work and delayed the delivery of public services.
This is not the first time that such a policy has been implemented. Similar directives were issued in 2017 too, citing that since officials’ mobile bills were reimbursed by the state, round-the-clock availability was expected. Later, in 2012 mobile phone allowances were introduced with the same intent — to ensure that employees remained accessible at all times.
However, the recent directive has reignited concerns among employees about the erosion of personal time. While the state insists that uninterrupted communication is vital for governance, the move may face pushback from government staff citing burnout and lack of downtime.
How the order will be executed in the long run and how it will be received will depend on how positively it balances employee well-being and operational efficiency.
