Shutdown

By HELEN TARAWA
PUBLIC servants, except essential service workers, will take their annual Christmas break from Dec 24, returning to work on Jan 4, according to Personnel Management secretary Taies Sansan.
Public accounts for the year will close on Dec 14 and reopen also on Jan 4.
Sansan yesterday informed all heads of department, provincial administration and heads of government agencies to take note of the holiday arrangements.
“The heads of other state services and statutory authorities are to take note of the holiday arrangements in the public service and to determine the applicability of these arrangements in their own organisations, provided that essential and emergency services are maintained for the Government and public at all times,” she said.
Sansan said public servants would be allowed to go home after lunch on Thursday Dec 24.
All must return to work on Monday Jan 4, 2021. The four paid shutdown days are from Monday Dec 28 to Thursday Dec 31.
She clarified that they were not leave days and would not be accrued if not taken.
“They are allocated for the convenience of closing government offices,” she said.
She said officers required to work to cater for essential and emergency services and rostered work arrangements would be paid overtime.
They will be given paid days-off later.
Essential services include those in public hospitals, police force, correctional service, defence force, public utilities and other organisations providing essential and emergency services.
“They will however be required to make their own internal arrangements to cater for essential and emergency services during the Christmas and New Year holiday period,” she said.
“The Department of Finance and the Immigration and Citizenship Authority will continue to work under the arrangements described in the circular.
“Public servants are required to report back for normal duties on Monday, Jan 4, 2021.”
The public accounts will close on Dec 14 and reopen on Jan 4, 2021.