New Rules Guide Bahrain Staff Probes

TDT | Manama

Email: mail@newsofbahrain.com

New procedures have been introduced for investigating government employees who are not in senior positions, setting out how investigations should be conducted and the responsibilities of government entities, employees and the Civil Service Bureau.

The Chairman of the Civil Service Bureau, Shaikh Duaij bin Salman Al Khalifa, issued Decision No. (4) of 2026 on Civil Service Instructions for investigation procedures involving employees who are not in senior positions and those considered equivalent.

The instructions aim to organise the work of investigation committees responsible for examining alleged violations by employees. They also explain the roles of the investigation committee, the government entity, the Civil Service Bureau and the employee, as well as the safeguards that must be provided to employees during an investigation.

Under the instructions, the Civil Service Bureau will provide technical and legal advice to officials and relevant staff in government entities on how to apply the instructions and the accompanying guide.

Government entities must form an investigation committee through a decision by the competent authority. They must also check the job levels of the committee’s chairperson and members before issuing the decision to form the committee.

The government entity must notify the employee of the decision to investigate and take the necessary action based on the committee’s recommendations, in line with the Civil Service Law and its Executive Regulations.

If the committee recommends a salary deduction of more than one month up to dismissal from service, the employee must be referred to a disciplinary board through a decision issued by the Chairman of the Civil Service Bureau. The referral decision must clearly state the actions attributed to the employee.

The instructions also require disciplinary penalties to be entered into the Human Resources Management Information System (Horison) after approval by the competent authority.

Employees must cooperate with the investigation committee, including signing to confirm that they have received the notice of their investigation, the violations they are accused of and the date of the investigation. They must also attend when summoned and answer the committee’s questions.

At the end of the investigation, the employee must sign the investigation record. If the employee cannot read or write, their right thumbprint will be used instead of a signature after their statements have been read to them.