Gangtok: Sikkim government has introduced a sabbatical leave scheme for regular government employees, allowing them to take up to three years of leave with 50% basic pay to pursue their desired ventures without losing their jobs.
As per a Department of Personnel notification dated August 14, the ‘Sabbatical Leave’ scheme for the regular State government employees will provide multiple opportunities, which otherwise is not available to them due to service rules.
Under this scheme, the employee shall be granted a sabbatical leave for a period not less than 365 days extendable up to a maximum of 1080 days once in the entire service period. The employee should have completed not less than five years of continuous service, states the DoP notification.
Chief Minister in his Independence Day speech had informed about the sabbatical leave initiative as a significant policy change. “I am pleased to announce a significant step forward in our commitment to the well-being of our employees. Recognizing the importance of work-life balance and personal growth, we are introducing a sabbatical leave of 3 years for all government employees. This initiative aims to provide our dedicated workforce with the opportunity to pursue further education, skill development, or personal endeavours, ultimately enhancing their overall quality of life,” the Chief Minister had said.
On Saturday, Citizen Action Party slammed the government’s decision for sabbatical leave as an eye wash against the need for regularisation policy of such government employees.
At a press conference, CAP spokesperson Mahesh Rai shared, “The Sabbatical leave is a willing choice of a government employee but even before that choice, the government needs to regularise the job of the employee. They need to be regularised, otherwise temporary employees receive very minimum salary, when that also gets cut short to 50 percent, then they will face financial crunch. The Chief minister has been making tall claims of regularizing all temporary employees before elections, only then can sabbatical leave make sense to the employees”.
The sabbatical allows a government employee to acquire additional educational qualification including skill development, to pursue entrepreneurial ventures or artistic and literary pursuits, to discharge family and social obligations, and explore different work environment by seeking employment elsewhere within and outside India.
Upon proceeding on sabbatical leave, the employee is entitled to 50% basic pay but will not receive any allowances. However, the inter-se-seniority shall remain unchanged.
The government employees on sabbatical leave would continue to be governed by the Sikkim Government Servants’ Conduct Rules 1981 and all other rules in force, as per the notification.
The employee on sabbatical leave can be recalled to duty whenever the State government deems fit to do so in the interest of the State by giving a notice of one month. Similarly, the employee can rejoin duty after giving one month’s notice.
However, the scheme shall not apply to any government servant who is a member of All India Service or serving the State government on deputation from the Centre, other State governments’ PSU, boards and Centrally Sponsored Schemes, and so on.
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Employees against whom department inquiry, vigilance cases are being contemplated or pending or those placed under suspension are not eligible till the pendency of such cases.
Employees who have taken bank loans for which repayment is deducted from their salary shall also not be eligible if the EMI cannot be met from the 50% reduction in monthly pay during their sabbatical leave.
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