MPs to Debate Shorter Hours, Longer Leave for 50+ Civil Servants

TDT | Manama

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Civil servants aged 50 and above could see shorter working days and longer annual leave under a draft law due to be debated in the Council of Representatives on Tuesday.

The bill, prepared by Parliament, would amend the Civil Service Law issued by Decree-Law No. 48 of 2010 by replacing Articles 19 and 20. It sets out age-based reductions in daily working hours and a higher annual leave allowance once an employee reaches set age points.

Under the proposed wording for Article 19, the Civil Service Bureau would continue to set working days and hours, including rules for work on public holidays and outside normal hours. It would also require a cut in the working day by one hour for employees who reach 50, two hours for those who reach 55, and three hours for those who reach 60. The Legislative and Legal Affairs Committee backed the text, but recommended a wording change so the rule applies to an employee who ‘reaches’ the age, rather than one who is ‘over’ it.

Article 20 would be rewritten to reset annual leave. Staff under 50 would receive 30 working days’ paid leave for each year of service. That would rise to 35 working days once an employee reaches 50, 40 at 55, and 45 at 60. The draft says the executive rules would set out the leave entitlement framework. The list of other leave types remains in place, including sick leave, marriage leave, Hajj leave, maternity leave, bereavement leave, quarantine leave, and study exam leave, alongside other categories set out in the draft.

The committee recommended approval in principle, describing the aim as taking account of older employees’ circumstances and encouraging staff to stay in work longer, which it linked to reducing early retirement.

In its attached memorandum, the Government asked MPs to revisit the proposal, warning it would draw a line between employees in the same job grade who receive the same pay and employment benefits, based solely on age. It said age was not an objective basis for treating employees with the same legal status differently and argued the approach would run against the Civil Service Law’s policy and the principle of equal treatment.

The Government also said the changes could affect the regular running of public services, widen the gap between public and private-sector working hours, and make it harder to track compliance with working hours, particularly in roles requiring round-the-clock coverage. It added that reduced hours and larger leave balances could impose direct and indirect costs on the state budget and the Fiscal Balance Programme.

The Civil Service Bureau said it agreed with the Government’s memorandum in full.