The Federal Government has ordered all Ministries, Departments and Agencies (MDAs) to discontinue the long-standing practice of sending civil servants on compulsory three-month pre-retirement leave, stating that the arrangement is not backed by the Public Service Rules.
The directive was contained in a circular issued by the Head of the Civil Service of the Federation, Didi Walson-Jack, and circulated to ministers, permanent secretaries, service chiefs, heads of government agencies and other senior public officials.
In the document titled “Correct Interpretation of Public Service Rule 120243 on Pre-Retirement Activities,” Walson-Jack noted that several MDAs had incorrectly treated the three-month retirement notice period as a leave entitlement, leading to the early withdrawal of officers from active duty.
She explained that the rule only requires retiring officers to notify the government three months before their retirement date, attend a one-month pre-retirement seminar, and use the remaining period to resolve pension and service-related documentation.
“The so-called ‘mandatory three-month pre-retirement leave’ has no basis in the Public Service Rules,” Walson-Jack stated.
According to the Head of Service, Rule 120243 provides for three separate obligations that must be observed before retirement.
“A retiring officer must give three months’ notice before their effective date of retirement. This is a notice requirement, not a leave entitlement,” the circular stated.
She stressed that officers approaching retirement remain in government employment throughout the notice period and are expected to continue carrying out their official responsibilities.
“PSR 120243 does not exempt retiring officers from official duties during the notice period, except where they are attending an approved pre-retirement workshop or seminar, or are otherwise authorised to be absent under extant leave rules,” the circular added.
Following the clarification, MDAs have been instructed to stop directing officers to leave their positions before their official retirement dates.
The government further directed ministries and agencies to ensure that retiring officers continue to perform their duties while attending approved retirement programmes and completing all necessary pension and service record reconciliations.
The circular also tasked permanent secretaries, directors-general, executive secretaries, chairpersons of statutory bodies and chief executives of government organisations with ensuring that all employees are informed of the directive and that it is strictly implemented.
The clarification is expected to affect thousands of federal workers who approach retirement each year.
For many years, several government institutions interpreted the notice period as an automatic leave arrangement, allowing officers to stay away from work after submitting retirement notices while waiting for their retirement process to be completed.
The latest directive seeks to bring uniformity to the application of the Public Service Rules across the federal service and prevent the premature loss of experienced personnel.
Officials believe the measure will also help improve efficiency in government institutions by allowing retiring officers to continue contributing their skills and knowledge until their official exit dates while finalising pension documentation.
Retirement in the federal civil service is regulated by the Public Service Rules and the Pension Reform Act, which stipulate that officers retire at the age of 60 or after 35 years of service, whichever comes first.
The government introduced pre-retirement seminars to help officers prepare for life after service and guide them through pension documentation procedures. However, differing interpretations of the relevant rules over the years created the widespread belief that workers were entitled to a mandatory three-month leave before retirement.