The Civil Service Commission (CSC) of the Maldives has introduced significant amendments to its salary increment policies, addressing a long-standing grievance where employees faced career delays due to maternity leave or other authorized long-term absences.

Under the revised framework, civil servants must serve two consecutive years in the same rank, maintain a minimum of 90 working days per year, and achieve a performance appraisal score of at least 85% to qualify for a pay increment. Crucially, the new amendment ensures that if an employee fails to meet the 90-day attendance requirement due to maternity leave, suspension, or other valid legal reasons, that specific year will be excluded from the calculation. Instead, the increment will be determined based on the performance results of the preceding and succeeding years.

The policy also clarifies procedures for employees transferring between government agencies mid-year. If an employee’s total service across both institutions reaches 90 days with an average appraisal score of 85%, they remain eligible for their increment. Furthermore, if an appraisal could not be completed at one office due to a tenure of less than 30 days, the result from the other office will be accepted provided it meets the performance threshold.

The CSC has instructed all relevant authorities to adhere to these changes in conjunction with Articles 88 and 89 of the Civil Service Regulation 2014. This reform is seen as a major step toward ensuring gender equality and workplace fairness within the public sector.