Federal Government Scraps Three-Month Terminal Leave for Civil Servants Due to Abuse
The Federal Government has scrapped the widely practised three-month terminal leave for civil servants, citing widespread abuse and misinterpretation of the Public Service Rules by Ministries, Departments and Agencies (MDAs).
The directive was contained in a circular issued by the Head of the Civil Service of the Federation, Didi Walson-Jack, and addressed to ministers, permanent secretaries, service chiefs, heads of agencies and other senior public sector administrators.
In the circular titled “Correct Interpretation of Public Service Rule 120243 on Pre-Retirement Activities,” the Head of Service stated that several MDAs had wrongly interpreted the mandatory three-month retirement notice period as an automatic leave entitlement, resulting in the premature withdrawal of officers from active service.
According to her, Public Service Rule 120243 only requires officers approaching retirement to give three months’ notice before their retirement date, attend a one-month pre-retirement workshop or seminar, and use the remaining period to regularise service records and pension documentation.
“The so-called mandatory three-month pre-retirement leave has no basis in the Public Service Rules,” Walson-Jack stated.
She explained that the rule outlines three separate obligations: a three-month notice requirement, attendance at a pre-retirement seminar during the first month, and the completion of retirement-related documentation within the remaining two months.
“A retiring officer must give three months’ notice before the effective date of retirement. This is a notice requirement, not a leave entitlement,” the circular stated.
The Head of Service stressed that officers due for retirement remain public servants throughout the notice period and are expected to continue performing their official duties unless they are attending approved retirement workshops or are otherwise authorised to be absent under existing leave regulations.
“PSR 120243 does not exempt retiring officers from official duties during the notice period, except where they are attending an approved pre-retirement workshop or seminar, or are otherwise authorised to be absent under extant leave rules,” she added.
Consequently, all MDAs have been directed to stop compelling retiring officers to vacate their offices before their official retirement dates.
Under the new directive, retiring officers are expected to continue discharging their responsibilities, participate in approved pre-retirement programmes and complete all pension and service record reconciliations before exiting the service.
The circular further directed permanent secretaries, directors-general, executive secretaries, chairpersons of statutory agencies and chief executives of government organisations to ensure strict compliance with the directive.
The clarification is expected to affect thousands of federal civil servants approaching retirement annually and is aimed at standardising the implementation of the Public Service Rules across government institutions while preventing the loss of experienced manpower through premature disengagement.