Ajman government workers to face up to 10-day pay cut for flouting Covid-19 safety rules

Employees will not get sick or quarantine leave if they come into close contact with infected people outside the workplace or home for a second time

People waiting for their turn to get the Covid-19 vaccine at the Ajman Society of Social and Cultural Development. All photos: Pawan Singh / The National

People arrive at the vaccination centre to receive shots of either Sinopharm or Pfizer-BioNTech.

Rashid Al Shamsi after getting his Covid-19 vaccine shot at the centre.

People in Ajman have responded to government calls to support the nationwide vaccination drive.

A man receives the Covid-19 vaccine at the Ajman Society of Social & Cultural Development centre.

Numbers of Emiratis getting vaccinated at the Ajman centre have increased significantly in recent months.

Muna Saqr Al Matrooshi, general director of Ajman Society of Social and Cultural Development, has welcomed the rise in Emiratis being vaccinated at the centre.

Ajman government has warned its employees to follow Covid-19 safety rules or face a pay cut.

The emirate’s human resources department sent out a circular that lists offences for which salaries will be deducted.

These include failing to wear face masks, being in crowded areas and shaking hands with others.

The list of fines aims to ensure employees adhere to rules designed to curb the spread of the coronavirus and safeguard public health.

Any deductions will be made from the basic salary. Employees will not receive sick or quarantine leave if they come into close contact with infected people outside the workplace or home for a second time.

The list of fines in the circular:

• An employee found to ignore rules, such as wearing face masks or maintaining a safe distance, will be let off with a warning the first time but will be hit with a one-day pay cut the second time and a two-day deduction the third time.
• Anyone who goes to work after being in contact with a Covid-19 patient will get a one-day salary cut the first time, five-days the second time, and 10 days in the third instance.
• If an employee fails to inform their manager that they were in close contact with a positive case or fails to comply with home quarantine rules, they will get a warning the first time, a one-day pay cut the second time and a three-day cut for the third time.
• Supervisors must ensure employees follow the rules. If they fail to do so they will get a warning the first time, a one-pay cut the second time and a three-day pay cut the third time.
• Close contacts must self-isolate for seven days or work remotely if possible.
• Employees will not be given sick leave if they come into close contact with an infected person outside work or home for a second time. Their quarantine days will be adjusted against annual leave and if they have exhausted that, it will be considered unpaid leave.