Civil servants to receive 1.05 months year-end bonus, junior grade officers to get additional one-time payment

SINGAPORE: Civil servants in Singapore will receive a 1.05 months year-end bonus, with junior-grade officers getting an additional lump sum payment, the Public Service Division (PSD) announced on Monday (Nov 25).
Civil servants in grades equivalent to MX15 and MX16, and those in the Operations Support Scheme (OSS), will receive an additional one-time payment of S$600 (US$446).
This year-end payment takes into consideration that Singapore’s gross domestic product (GDP) is expected to grow by around 3.5 per cent in 2024 as well as the National Wages Council (NWC) guidelines for 2024/2025, said PSD.
It also follows close consultation with the public sector unions. 
The government will continue to pay the non-pensionable annual allowance of one month, also known as the 13th-month bonus.
The Ministry of Trade and Industry (MTI) last Friday upgraded its economic growth forecast for 2024 to around 3.5 per cent, above the range of its previous prediction.
The assessment takes into consideration the better-than-expected performance of the Singapore economy in the first three quarters of the year, as well as the latest global and domestic economic situations, said PSD. 
On the labour market front, the Ministry of Manpower’s labour market advance estimates showed that total employment continued to expand even while uncertainty in the global economy remains.
Unemployment rates and retrenchments also remained low amid a tight labour market.
The year-end bonus for civil servants is also in line with the NWC’s recommendations to uplift the wages of lower-wage workers, said PSD, adding that the government will continue to adopt a “progressive approach” in determining the annual variable component for civil servants.
Taken together with the mid-year payments, civil servants will receive a total of 1.5 months in full-year annual variable component, with those in the more junior grades receiving total lump-sum payments of up to S$850 in 2024, added PSD. 
In June, civil servants received a 0.45-month mid-year bonus. Junior grade officers also received an additional one-time payment of up to S$250. 
Last year, civil servants received a 0.3-month mid-year bonus and a 0.6-month year-end bonus, as well as the 13th-month bonus.
Ms Cham Hui Fong, deputy secretary-general of the National Trades Union Congress, said the year-end payout for civil servants reflects Singapore’s strongest economic growth since 2021 and recognises their contributions this year. 
“As we see positive economic indicators, NTUC continues to encourage civil servants to enhance their skills and capabilities through upskilling programmes, ensuring they remain competitive and ready for future challenges,” she said. 
Mr Sanjeev Kumar Tiwari, general secretary of the Amalgamated Union of Public Employees (AUPE), said the union negotiated for the payout together with the public sector union and NTUC. 
“AUPE believes that it is important that when our economy does well, our civil servants who have contributed to this success are rewarded accordingly.”
He added that AUPE appreciates the government for “taking care” of its lower-income workers through the additional one-time lump sum payment for junior officers and those in the Operations Support Scheme.
“This enhanced support will help our officers in the lower-wage income manage the rising cost-of-living.”