SRC unveils bonus plans for civil servants but only on one condition
4 min read
SRC unveils bonus plans to double the salaries of civil servants but only if they exceed their performance targets
SRC unveils bonus plans to double the salaries of civil servants but only if they exceed their performance targets.
A framework for rewarding public sector employees who surpass their performance goals with bonuses up to double their wages has been released by the Salaries and Remuneration Commission (SRC).
According to the Public Service Commission’s (PSC) most recent data, however, more than half of public employees will not get incentives because their performance in FY2021/22 fell short of expectations.
The Framework for Recognizing Productivity and Performance in the Public Service was introduced by SRC on Friday of last week.
It suggests bonuses up to 100% of a worker’s basic salary for exceeding goals as a means of enhancing performance, assuring employee retention, and luring top talent.
“Whereas organizational success thrives on higher productivity, employees become more productive when they are recognized for their contribution. Recognition improves employee productivity, performance, retention, and organizational culture and acts as a catalyst for efficiency and effectiveness in production and service delivery,” said SRC chairperson Lyn Mengich.
Head of Public Service Felix Koskei has already welcomed the move.
“To motivate employees to perform to their best, it is important to tie productivity to rewards, whether in form of promotions, bonuses, recognition letters or other forms of recognition,” he said.
The framework links financial rewards to measurable productivity and performance for state and public officers, SRC stated.
“In rewarding employees in the public service, SRC shall consider the degree to which an institution achieves its productivity, and performance targets will determine eligibility and quantum of financial reward. Thus, SRC shall take into consideration performance targets and the productivity index achieved,” the commission stated, adding that Financial rewards will also consider existing contractual obligations.”
The framework proposes financial rewards for institutions and employees who achieve at least 101 percent of the annual performance ratings, and improved productivity index for commercial and revenue-generating state corporations that demonstrate cost efficiency, growth in revenue, and profit and make the necessary budgetary provisions for the performance-based bonus.
“The productivity and performance-based bonus shall be prorated based on corporate score, and anchored on the basic salary of state officers, other public officers, or accounting officers, in the case of board members.”
But as the SRC plans bonuses for public workers, PSC’s report on compliance with constitutional values and principles indicated more than two-thirds of public institutions, and more than half of staff did not meet their targets.
Government announces full scholarships with stipend for Kenyans to study abroad, How to apply
US, Kenya teams begin trade talks amid protests
EU Ambassador to Sudan assaulted at his home with US diplomatic convoy fired at
Ruto dismantles Uhuru over Unga subsidy
The PSC report noted that more than half of disciplinary cases handled in the public service in the last financial year arose from negligence of duty (27 percent) and absence from duty without permission at 882 (26 percent) cases.
“It was established that 108 (33.1 percent) of 326 public institutions met their targets and their performance was rated as (“excellent” or “very good”) while 218 (66.1 percent) did not achieve their targets and were rated as (“good”, “fair” or “poor”),” PSC stated.
It further noted that more than half were lazy as they did not achieve targets.
“At least 61,040 officers were appraised, out of whom 5,319 were rated ‘Excellent’, 24,418 were rated ‘Very Good’, 21,887 were rated ‘Good’, 7,345 were rated ‘Fair’ and 2,071 were rated ‘Below Average’. Those rated ‘Very Good’ and ‘Excellent’ were 49 percent,” the PSC stated.
At least 2,654 staff (4.3 percent of those appraised) were either put on performance improvement programmes or sanctioned for poor performance last year, while 17,042 (28 percent of those appraised) were rewarded.
“It was established that 434 (91 percent) institutions had a staff appraisal tool while the remaining 43 (nine percent) reported that they did not have an appraisal tool,” PSC stated.
The SRC explained that the framework is meant to instill a productivity mentality in the public sector, where half of the 26,664 complaints received in the year to June 2022 are related to delays in service delivery.
Also read,
Eliud Kipchoge explains why he lost Boston Marathon
Ruto adopts new approach in borrowing foreign loans
IMF now asks CBK to let the shilling depreciate
Parliament moves to spare jobless graduates from paying interest on Helb loans
Follow us
