Civil service jobs do not offer limitless hidden perks
I refer to Jake van der Kamp's column ("Dirty little secret of public service pay is a cash bonanza", November 2) and your editorial ("Pay rise for top earners hard sell", November 7) concerning the 2013 Civil Service Pay Level Survey.
On its methodology, the editorial and van der Kamp were incorrect in assuming that only the basic salary was taken into account for comparison. All fringe benefits paid in cash were also included in the civil service and private sector pay indicators for comparison. Non-cash benefits were excluded because the differences in the remuneration between the private sector and the civil service make it difficult to achieve a meaningful comparison.
The valuation of non-cash benefits for the civil service is complicated as the benefits package for civil servants varies from officer to officer, depending on their terms of appointment.
There are misconceptions in van der Kamp's article concerning fringe benefits provided for civil servants.
Civil servants appointed after October 1, 1990, are no longer eligible for non-departmental quarters. Other benefits offered to civil servants appointed from June 2000 onwards have also undergone significant changes.
For example, they are no longer eligible for education allowances; vacation leave entitlement has been reduced to a level broadly comparable to the private sector (14 or 18 days per year); pension has been replaced (for example) by the Civil Service Provident Fund. The impression that civil service jobs offer limitless hidden perks is incorrect.