New Delhi, Dec 27 (PTI) Railway employees posted at several branch offices of the Mumbai Division can avail flexible working hours from January 1, 2024, according to an internal communication.

The scheme was first introduced in the office of the Divisional Railway Manager at Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj Terminus on November 1 this year.

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Now, it has been decided to extend it to other offices within the jurisdiction of the division from the first day of 2024.

Employees will be offered two working slots -- 9.30 am to 5.45 pm and 11.30 am to 7.45 pm.

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According to sources in the division, flexible working hours have been introduced for the convenience of employees in commuting and to avoid rush office hours.

"This has received good response from all staff," the official communication issued by the Senior Divisional Personnel Officer of Mumbai Division stated, adding other establishments have also adopted flexible working hours.

"Central Railway, Mumbai division has now decided to introduce two working hours slots in field offices, depots, sheds, open line, etc...," it added.

The department heads have been asked to maintain two rosters in respective offices, where “the first roster will be the same roster which has been maintained as per the present duty hours, and a second roster needs to be created with flexible working hours as per the respective offices."

While every employee has the freedom to choose either of the two rosters as per his/her desired duty hours, changes in the roster opted must be made at the beginning of the new month, the official communication stated, adding that changes will not be allowed in the middle of the month.

It states that this process has been designed to ensure smooth operation and planning.

"The staff must inform the office in-charge about the slot that has been selected. The flexible work schedule to be implemented from January 1 of 2024," it said.

Speaking to PTI, Shinde Tushaba, Senior Divisional Personnel Officer of Mumbai Division, clarified that this flexible shift is not applicable to frontline or field workers such as gangmen, station masters and loco pilots.

"Initially, we introduced this scheme in our divisional office only but as the response has been very encouraging, we have now decided to extend this benefit to our office staff of our field offices too," Tushaba said.

(The above story is verified and authored by Press Trust of India (PTI) staff. PTI, India’s premier news agency, employs more than 400 journalists and 500 stringers to cover almost every district and small town in India.. The views appearing in the above post do not reflect the opinions of LatestLY)