Part‑time Employment Scheme in the Civil Service

Oral Reply to Parliamentary Question on the Part-time Employment Scheme in the Civil Service

Parliamentary Sitting Date: 23 October 2007

Mdm Halimah Yacob: To ask the Prime Minister and Minister for Finance (a) whether he can provide an update on the Part-time Employment Scheme in the Civil Service and what efforts are being made to promote it; (b) how many civil servants have taken advantage of this scheme; and (c) what is the profile of those who took advantage of this scheme in 2006.

Oral Reply (for the Prime Minister) by Mr Teo Chee Hean, Minister in charge of the Civil Service and Minister for Defence:

The Part-time Employment Scheme in the Civil Service has evolved over the years.  It was first introduced in Mar 1987 for married female officers with young children to work half time, i.e. 21 hours a week so that they can have more time for child care.   In 1996, it was extended to all re-employed officers who retired at the compulsory retirement age.  Since Jan 2004, part-time employment has been made available to all civil servants, regardless of gender or marital status.

Part-time officers receive pro-rated salaries, bonuses and benefits. Upon return to full-time work, their salary and benefits will be the same as those of similar full-time officers.

The part-time scheme has been positioned as one of many flexible work arrangements we offer in the Civil Service.  It has been a useful recruitment and retention tool to better meet the needs of individuals and the agencies.  Over the years, the Civil Service has made the scheme more flexible by increasing the part-time work hour options.  A person on the part-time scheme can choose to work from 11 to 36 hours per week.  The scheme enables civil servants who are not able to work full time to balance their work and family or other personal commitments.

There were 336 civil servants on the part-time employment scheme in 2006.  The latest figures in mid Sep this year show that we now have 466 civil servants on the part-time employment scheme.  The majority of officers on the part-time employment scheme are from the Education Service, Management Executive and Corporate Support Schemes of Service.  87% of them are married women and a large number of these chose to work part-time for child care and family reasons.