The Delhi government's Women and Child Development department has directed its branches to ensure that no women employee stays in the office beyond the shift hours, until it is absolutely necessary.
Earlier this week, the department had asked the branches to ensure that if women are made to work late, they should be dropped off at home safely.
The advisory stated that the "safety, dignity and well-being of women employees is of paramount importance."
The advisory stated that women employees having to work beyond normal hours and stay in the office require clear safeguards, structured responsibility and strict oversight so that no woman is placed at risk while performing official duties.
"It is hereby directed that no woman employee shall be required or expected to remain in office beyond normal working hours unless absolutely unavoidable.
In all such exceptional circumstances, the concerned branch head/reporting officer shall be personally responsible for ensuring her safe return," the advisory said.
It directed that heads of all the branches shall check in advance whether work necessitating late sitting by a woman employee is essential and unavoidable.
"Ensure that women employees are not asked to stay back for routine or non-time-sensitive tasks that can reasonably be taken up on the next working day," it said.
It stated that if late sitting becomes unavoidable, the department should make appropriate arrangements so that the woman employee is dropped safely at her residence or at another safe and convenient point.
"Remain fully accountable for ensuring that such arrangements are actually made and executed in a timely manner," it said.
It also reminded all officers, branch heads, "to maintain a humane, gender-sensitive and responsible managerial approach, keeping foremost the safety and dignity of women employees".
"This advisory is expected to be complied with in letter and spirit, ensuring that the safety of women employees remains a non-negotiable for all," it read.
