For the first time since Pope John XXIII, Vatican workers from office staff to cardinals have been issued swipe cards for clocking on and off at work.
Ansa reports the Vatican City State has issued new cards to all employees from the lowest office staff to the grandest heads of departments, including priests or bishops.
The swipe cards have reportedly been received without complaint by the lay staff but some older clerics have been heard grumbling that Pope John XXII abolished timekeeping in the early 1960s.
They fondly remembered that Pope John thought that keeping staff on the clock worked against the flexibility they needed.
The clerics complain that clocking in and out is a headache when they have to leave the office on twice weekly pastoral duty.
The timekeeping scheme is part of a new meritocracy drive at the Vatican, which is set to introduce performance related pay next year.
SOURCE
Vatican clerics back on the clock (Ansa, 3/11/08)
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Vatican City State