Kuwait
The Ministries Complex on the first day of school reopening and the implementation of flexible working hours displayed remarkable order and tranquility, especially during the early hours of the workday. The entrances to the complex did not witness any congestion, and the attendance and departure fingerprint devices awaited employees.
Regarding the working hours within the sectors and departments of the Ministry of Social Affairs, everything appeared to be running smoothly without any notable changes or repeats. This is because the Ministry has been implementing the “flexible working hours” system since last April, allowing employees to choose their working hours within a 7-hour framework.
According to sources, female employees tend to arrive during the morning period from 7:00 AM to 7:30 AM, while male employees are more prominent during the hours between 8:00 AM and 8:30 AM. This distribution aligns well with the flexible working hours system, granting employees the flexibility to adjust their schedules to their convenience.
The situation differs slightly in the social care sector, where employees often follow a shift system with different working hours and conditions than administrative staff. Therefore, the flexible working hours system applied to administrative employees might not be directly applicable to them, and there have been no notifications of any changes to this sector as of the end of yesterday.
The General Authority for Manpower has adhered to the approved shift system and 7-hour working day since the end of last April, awaiting official communication for any updates.
Similarly, the General Authority for Disabled Persons is awaiting communication from the Civil Service Bureau to take necessary actions.
At the Ministry of Information, employees have adhered to the attendance before the fingerprint devices at the start of the new school year, following the flexible working hours system established by the Civil Service Bureau. This system allows a 7-hour working day, from Sunday to Thursday, divided into 4 periods: from 7:00 AM to 2:00 PM, from 7:30 AM to 2:30 PM, from 8:00 AM to 3:00 PM, and from 8:30 AM to 3:30 PM.
In the Public Authority for Housing Welfare, employees have ensured their presence before the fingerprint devices at their designated times, as determined by the authority, following the flexible fingerprint system for employees across all sectors of the authority. This has helped reduce congestion in parking areas and at fingerprint devices during the peak hours of the workday.
The Ministry of Commerce has implemented flexible working hours for its employees, allowing them to choose from three starting times: 7:30 AM, 8:00 AM, and 8:30 AM, according to the preference of each sector. This has contributed to alleviating congestion on Kuwait’s roads.
The Ministry of Public Works has also adopted the flexible working hours system, starting at 7:30 AM, 8:00 AM, and 8:30 AM, depending on the choice of each sector. This has helped reduce traffic congestion.
Employees at the Ministry of Awqaf and Islamic Affairs have continued to follow the flexible working hours system implemented since last April, in accordance with the decisions of the ministry’s undersecretary. This is also the case at the Ministry of Justice.
Several employees have noted that the flexible working hours system has significantly reduced traffic congestion and facilitated their daily commutes.
