Conditions of a public service employment relationship

The Government provides good protection against unjustified dismissal and competitive terms of employment. Government personnel have either public service or contractual employment relationships. A public service relationship is most common, particularly when it comes to a position where public authority is exercised, or decisions are made on the interest, rights or obligations of citizens, companies and communities.

General pay policies

The government widely uses pay systems based on the complexity of the job and the performance of the employee. These government pay systems are specific to each agency, but they follow uniform and general criteria.

All pay systems are based on job evaluation and individual performance which are reviewed annually in performance and development discussions.

Government pay consists mainly of:

• a basic salary based on the complexity of the job
• an individual pay component which is based on individual job performance and professional competence and whose maximum amount differs for each agency. It can account for up to 50% of the basic salary.

Pay in some government operating units may also include an experience-based component, separate performance bonuses or compensation resulting from exceptional conditions.

The purpose of the pay systems is to improve the match between work tasks, the performance of them and the remuneration. The systems are also intended to support personnel in developing competences, setting goals and evaluating results and to encourage better performance.

Holidays

Leave benefits of government employees are, on average, better than in the general labour market. The length of annual leave depends on the employee's length of service with the Government. In cases of internal mobility inside the Government, unused annual leave can be carried over from one agency to another.

Family and study leaves

Government personnel can also get paid or unpaid leave from work, for example to study or manage another post, or for family-related and other significant reasons. Government employees are encouraged to make use of family leaves on an equal basis.