TORONTO

Mayor Rob Ford has been keeping his own staff on a tight leash since the summer.

Ford sent a rare memo to all staff in the mayor’s office July 27 explaining he was rolling out “a new daily sign-in procedure.”

The attendance keeping remains in effect for the 13 employees that work for the mayor.

The memo, obtained by theSunthrough a municipal Freedom of Information request, came weeks before Ford courted controversy by skipping out of his own executive committee meeting to coach his high school football team and a few months before he missed part of a city council meeting for the same reason.

According to the memo, staff have to sign in when they arrive at the office by initialing a sheet kept at the desk of Kia Nejatian, the mayor’s executive assistant.

“This will help Kia in knowing where staff may be during the business day and help me contact staff when required,” Ford stated in the signed memo. “Your adherence to this new procedure is important to ensure that the mayor’s office is operating at its optimal level.”

Nejatian sent a follow-up e-mail to staff after Ford’s memo went out reminding them to sign-in every day — even if they are off.

“It is important that you sign in everyday,” Nejatian wrote. “You’re still required to sign if you have taken any sick/vacation days.”

TheToronto Sunwas denied access to the sign-in sheets for the mayor’s office employees. City officials argued the municipal freedom of information act does not apply to those documents because they are employment records.

“We don’t comment on personnel or human resources issues,” George Christopoulos, Ford’s press secretary, told the Toronto Sun Wednesday.

Ford’s office wouldn’t say if the mayor also signs in on a daily basis or why he keeps attendance over and above general pay records. Officials were also tight-lipped about why staff have to sign-in when they aren’t permitted to bill for overtime or time in lieu.

None of the councillors contacted Wednesday had a sign-in procedure in place for their office staff.

“I treat my staff like adults,” said Councillor Denzil Minnan-Wong. “The only reason why I would ask my staff to sign in is if I was suspicious they weren’t in the office when they were supposed to be in ... but generally I have good staff, I don’t need them to sign-in.”

Minnan-Wong said he wouldn’t comment specifically on the mayor’s policy but stressed Ford’s staff “work very, very hard and work really long hours.”

Deputy Mayor Doug Holyday — who also doesn’t make staff sign-in — said it’s important to know people are at work, but added, “I don’t know if it is necessary to make them sign in.”

Councillor Adam Vaughan said he doesn’t ask his staff to sign-in.

“They’re usually here when I come in and they are usually here when I leave at 9 p.m.,” he said. “I think I have the hardest-working staff in the world.”