Duration of Assignment Posting for Unplaced Public Officers and Interim Arrangements Post-secondment in Past Five Years

1 Mr Abdul Muhaimin Abdul Malik asked the Prime Minister and Minister for Finance in each of the past five years (a) how many public officers were not placed in a confirmed substantive posting upon returning from secondment; (b) for these officers, what was the average time taken to confirm a substantive posting; and (c) whether they continued to receive full pay and benefits during the interim period.

Mr Chan Chun Sing: Secondments help to build up the range of competencies and work experiences of public officers to strengthen their longer-term employment relevance and resilience. The Public Service Division's guideline to agencies is to support public officers even while they are on secondment. This includes scheduling regular check-ins with the officer and jointly planning for their return to the parent agency or further secondment opportunities to another agency. This is to facilitate a smooth transition into their next jobs after secondment. In some instances, some officers may adjust their secondment period or choose to have a break until their preferred job opportunity is available – these options are available to the officer. The officer receives full pay and benefits if he or she is working. Pay and benefits will be suspended if the officer is on a break between jobs. The Public Service does not centrally track the specific data that is being requested.