Ethiopia Introduces New Law of Federal Government Employees

Last month, the Ethiopian House of People’s Representatives proposed updates to the existing law of Federal Government employees. After the discussions, they sent these proposed laws to the relevant committees for further review and refinement.

This draft of government employees has been approved by the Federal Civil Service Commission.

There was a proposal to update and change an employee existing law called the Federal Government Employees Decree No. 1064/2010. Minister Tesfaye Beljige explained that the old decree has been in use for the past 6 years, but now needs to be updated to align with the current policies and plans of the government. Tesfaye Beljige said the new draft law aims to establish a fair and inclusive system for managing government employees. It proposed changes to the hiring process, ensuring government jobs are awarded based on open competition and the skills and qualifications of candidates.

As per the Federal Civil Service Commission, this approved bill will allow the promotion and step-ups of government employees. According to Commissioner Mekuria Haile, the bill aims to evaluate and distinguish employees based on their performance. He emphasized that the proclamation should not be misunderstood and that employees who fail to meet the evaluation standards will be dismissed.

The commissioner explained that the decree is designed to empower employees, not reduce their numbers. It identifies employees who have fulfilled the evaluation stage and are qualified, those with a gap in their skills, and those with a significant gap. These employees will receive training to fill the gaps and continue in the government structure.

Furthermore, he explained that if an employee is evaluated twice and the result is below average, they will be dismissed from their job. However, the employees who achieve good results in the assessment will receive promotions and salary increases every two years.

The lack of adequate income from work has put significant pressure on government employees. Commissioner Haile stated that the decree includes a mandatory system where employees who pass the qualification assessment and meet the requirements will receive salary increases and promotions in stages.

The main objective of this law of Federal Government Employees is to improve public service and create a digital civil service. It aims to build a public service based on diversity, assuming that every ethnic group has an educated workforce.

Commissioner Haile emphasized that the decree will help build an independent and competent civil service, ensuring the competence of employees and managing diversity and inclusiveness effectively. The decree is expected to positively impact the lives of government employees by providing them with better opportunities and a more stable career path.

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