Question NW1861 to the Minister of Public Service and Administration
15 September 2021 - NW1861
Gondwe, Dr M to ask the Minister of Public Service and Administration
(1)Whether her department has developed a policy on the payment of overtime in the Public Service; if not, why not; if so, (a) on what date was the policy developed and (b) how often is it monitored and reviewed, (2) Whether her department monitors the payment of overtime in the Public Service; if not, why not; if so, how often does her department monitor the payment of overtime in the Public Service?
Reply:
1. Overtime work is informed by the service delivery requirements of a department. Hence, Regulation 49 of the Public Service Regulations, 2016 requires that a department must have an approved overtime policy in place. The said departmental overtime policy must be in keeping with the overarching policy requirements set out in the Public Service Regulations, 2016, applicable collective agreements and the Basic Conditions of Employment Act, 1997, as amended.
a) The overarching policy requirements were established with the introduction of the Public Service Regulatory Framework in 1999 and the conclusion of Public Service Coordinating Bargaining Council (PSCBC) Resolution 3 of 1999.
b) The said policy requirements are reviewed as and when required, for example, with the introduction of the Basic Conditions of Employment Act, 1997, as amended, in the Public Service in July 2000 and with the promulgation of the 2016 Public Service Regulations. The applicable Regulation is currently being reviewed.
2. Overtime payments are a function located in departments through the PERSAL system. The Department of Public Service and Administration (DPSA) does not have access to, and control over the payment function taking place in departments. However, the DPSA from time to time does extract data on overtime from PERSAL and analyse the overtime expenditure in the Public Service. This analysis is used to engage with departments to ensure compliance with Public Service Regulations, 2016 including on the proper alignment of departmental structures to service delivery requirements. Since 2020, the DPSA has held regular meetings with departments that have been found to be non-compliant with applicable regulations and technical support has been provided to improve compliance.
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