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The special staff arrangements and employment conditions for core government employees are at the heart of the state's relationship to its employees and they are often firmly rooted in national tradition and administrative culture. As such, employment conditions and human resources systems such as recruitment procedures, career development, pay systems and social security benefits have traditionally been rather different in the public and private sectors in many countries. Until recently, some of the working conditions such as working hours and employee benefits tended to be more attractive in the public service than in the private sector in many countries. They remain an important part of the overall remuneration package of employees today and a tool for attracting qualified staff to government employment.
The total amount of time spent working during a year is an indicator of the overall working conditions in the civil service and is critical when comparing compensation packages. The total working hours per year are dependent on regular weekly working hours, the amount of annual leave and the number of bank/public holidays. The first two employment standards are usually set by a combination of minimum statutory rules and collective bargaining (see also Indicator 33).
The average number of working hours per year among civil servants in OECD countries is 1 742 hours. Average annual working hours range from 1 545 hours in Portugal to 2 048 hours in Chile; but in the majority of respondent countries, employees in the central government tend to work between 1 600 to 1 850 hours per year. The statutory weekly working hours for civil servants are lowest in France and Portugal at 35 hours, and highest in Chile and Israel (44 and 42.5 hours respectively). Civil servants in the Russian Federation are entitled to the highest average number of annual holiday leave (43.5 days) while in Canada the average is 15 days. Annual holiday leave however often depends on length of service.
A second key indicator of working conditions is the average number of working days public employees are absent on sick leave each year. It an important indicator of workforce costs, since employees continue receiving a salary. In addition, it can be considered an outcome governance indicator for HRM policies, since poor working environments can lead to a greater incidence of employees requiring time off. Seventeen OECD countries and one non-member country have been able to provide information on the average amount of sick leave in central government workplaces. In responding countries, on average about 11 days are taken each year, varying from about 6 days in the Netherlands to 16 days in Germany. Interestingly, in Chile where the annual working hours are highest, civil servants also report amongst the highest in sick leave usage with 15.7 days on average in 2009.
Methodology and definitions
Data on average working hours per year were collected through the 2010 Survey on Compensation of Employees in Central/Federal Governments. Data on sick leave were collected from the 2010 OECD Survey on Strategic Human Resources Management. Respondents to both surveys were predominately senior officials in central government HRM departments, and data refer to working conditions for civil servants at the central level of government. The survey was completed by all OECD member countries except Luxembourg. Definitions of the civil service, as well as the organisations governed at the central level of government, differ across countries and should be considered when making comparisons. The terms public and civil service/servants are used interchangeably throughout this chapter.
Data on average working hours per year refer to 2010 with the exception of data regarding sick leave which refer to 2009 or the latest year available.
The average hours worked per year is the total number of working hours per calendar year less annual leave and bank/public holidays. It refers to contractual working time and does not include lunch breaks.
See Annex E. for further country-specific information and details on methodology used.
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Further reading
OECD (2008), The State of the Public Service, OECD Publishing, Paris.
Figure notes
See Annex E. for further country-specific information as well as details on the methodology and factors used in constructing the index.
Information on data for Israel: http://dx.doi.org/10.1787/888932315602.
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| Indicator in PDF |
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| 34.1 Average working hours per year by central government employees (2010) |
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| 34.2 Average number of working days public employees are absent on sick leave per year (2009 or latest available year) |
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