Building Competence. Crossing Borders. Elective Public Management – Week 8 HR in the Public Sector Prof. Dr. Andreas Bergmann Institute of Public Management
8.ppt, fs09 2 Civil servants vs. Employees Civil servants Tenured status In Germany for lifetime Elsewhere typically for a few years (e.g. 4 to 6; almost guaranteed renewal) High levels of values: Integrity, political impartiality, merit, loyalty, devotion to public service Not contracted but elected, as consequence no normal termination of contract In some countries separate pension schemes
8.ppt, fs09 3 Civil servants vs. Employees Employees Contract or other forms of consensus mechanism Loyalty limited to contractual obligations Discontinuation possible, by both parties Normal fringe benefits, similar to private sector
8.ppt, fs09 4 Civil servants vs. Employees Under NPM Many countries change from (special status) civil servants to employees, in order to Increase flexibility Save cost Introduce performance management systems „Hybridisation“
8.ppt, fs09 5 Civil servants vs. Employees Under NPM Switzerland: Cantons abolish special status in 1990s, federal government in 2001 Also for current civil servants Facilitated through identical pension system for employees and both sectors Free movement between sectors
8.ppt, fs09 6 Civil servants vs. Employees Under NPM In Germany: Number of employees increased, now about 2/3 But civil servant status maintained -Separate pension schemes as main obstacle Retention of civil service status -puts strong limitations on any form of Performance Management and any organizational change -Inhibits any change of employment/sector of employment
8.ppt, fs09 7 Civil servants vs. Employees German pension system for civil servants Only for civil servants, not for employees! Pensions are „pay-as-you-go“, i.e. salary is paid (at reduced level, about 72 percent) even after retirement Pensions are funded same as salaries, i.e. from government budget Entitlement is based on last gross salary
8.ppt, fs09 8 Civil servants vs. Employees German pension system for civil servants Large number of entitled civil servants to increase Supplementary pension scheme (funded) only recently started
8.ppt, fs09 9 References EMERY, Y./GIAUQUE, D.: Employment in the public and private sectors: toward a confusing hybridization process. In: International Review of Public Administration, Vol. 71, 2005, KUHLMANN, S./RÖBER, M.: Civil Service in Germany: Characteristics of Public Employment and Modernization of Public Personnel Management. Paper presented at the meeting Modernization of State and Administration in Europe: A France-Germany Comparison, May 2004, Bordeaux, Goethe-Institut. OECD: Economic Survey of Germany WILSON, R.: Portrait of a profession revisited. In: Public Administration, Vol. 81, 2003,