Says practice has no basis in Public Service Rules; retiring officers must remain on duty until official exit date

The Federal Government has ordered an immediate end to the long-standing practice of placing civil servants on compulsory three-month pre-retirement leave, declaring it illegal and unsupported by the Public Service Rules (PSR).

In a directive issued by the Head of the Civil Service of the Federation, Didi Walson-Jack, all Ministries, Departments and Agencies (MDAs) were instructed to stop enforcing the policy, which she described as a widespread misinterpretation of existing regulations.

The circular, titled “Correct Interpretation of Public Service Rule 120243 on Pre-Retirement Activities,” was sent to ministers, permanent secretaries, service chiefs, and heads of government agencies.

Walson-Jack clarified that the rule only mandates a notice period—not a leave entitlement—warning that many MDAs had wrongly treated it as automatic time off, forcing officers out of active service prematurely.

“The so-called ‘mandatory three-month pre-retirement leave’ has no basis in the Public Service Rules,” she stated.

According to the clarified provisions, retiring officers are required to give three months’ notice ahead of their retirement date, attend a one-month pre-retirement workshop, and use the remaining time to regularise records and complete pension documentation.

She stressed that civil servants remain fully in service during the notice period and must continue to perform their duties unless officially excused.

“The notice period is not a leave entitlement. Officers are expected to remain at their duty posts except when attending approved pre-retirement programmes or when granted leave in line with existing regulations,” the circular emphasised.

The directive mandates MDAs to ensure that retiring staff stay on the job until their official exit dates while completing all necessary administrative processes tied to their retirement.

Top officials, including permanent secretaries and agency heads, have been tasked with enforcing strict compliance and ensuring the circular is widely communicated across the public service.

The move is expected to impact thousands of civil servants who retire each year upon reaching 60 years of age or completing 35 years of service.

For years, many government institutions had allowed employees to stop reporting to work immediately after submitting retirement notices, leading to early loss of experienced personnel and gaps in service delivery.

The government says the new directive will standardise the interpretation of the rules, retain critical manpower until due dates, and improve overall efficiency across the civil service.