Source: Civil servants to receive better pay without moving into management – herald
Sunday Mail Reporter
CIVIL SERVANTS will soon be able to advance and earn better salaries while continuing to perform the work they are trained and skilled to do without necessarily having to move into management positions.
The initiative, which is being rolled out after the recently completed job evaluation by the Public Service Commission (PSC), is expected to help retain specialist skills and promote professional excellence across the public service.
On the other hand, workers whose posts were assigned lower grades as a result of the exercise will retain existing salaries, allowances and other benefits. However, new entrants will earn according to the newly evaluated grade.
In a statement, the PSC said outcomes of the first comprehensive job evaluation in the nation’s public service since 2003, which resulted in a new remuneration framework, were effected from April 1 this year. The job evaluation began in 2022.
In September 2024, Cabinet approved its recommendations and directed their implementation across the public sector.
Under the parallel progression framework, workers with special skills and experience, such as teachers, engineers, nurses or technical experts, will be rewarded for being good at their jobs instead of being forced to go for supervisory or administrative positions to earn more.
“The framework is designed to recognise that not every employee’s career aspiration is to become a manager,” said the PSC.
“Many public servants develop highly specialised knowledge and technical expertise that are critical to effective service delivery. Traditionally, career advancement in many organisations has depended largely on promotion into management or administrative roles. This often meant that highly skilled professionals had to move away from the work they excelled in simply to improve their remuneration and career prospects.”
The PSC said, by providing multiple pathways for career advancement, the framework will enable public servants to grow, excel and contribute more effectively to national development and Zimbabwe’s Vision 2030 objectives.
One of the key safeguards brought by the job evaluation, it said, was the personal-to-holder principle, a provision that protects an employee’s existing salary, allowances and benefits where a job was assigned a lower grade than it previously held.
“In other words, the protection applies to the current holder of the post and ensures that they do not suffer an immediate loss of remuneration because of the job evaluation outcome,” said the PSC.
“However, once the current holder leaves the position through retirement, resignation, promotion or any other reason, the post will thereafter be filled at its newly evaluated grade. The protection applies only to the current holder and does not permanently attach to the position.”
The move was envisaged to correct historical grading anomalies, while safeguarding the legitimate interests of serving public officers.
The PSC said the job evaluation had since corrected longstanding anomalies.
“Chief directors, previously misclassified at grade F2, are now correctly placed at E4, while directors have moved from F1 to E1 and deputy directors from E5 to D1,” said the PSC.
“Skilled professionals such as engineers, teachers and human resources officers, previously inflated to Band D and E, have been correctly placed in Band C, consistent with the specialised, technocratic nature of their work.”
Concerns and appeals
To promote transparency and confidence in the process, a multi-sectoral Job Evaluation Appeals Committee has been established to consider concerns and appeals from employees and institutions.
The committee became operational on June 1, 2026 and will receive and process appeals until August 31, 2026, providing public servants with an opportunity to seek clarification and review of perceived anomalies in job grading outcomes.
“The commission has assured employees that every appeal will be considered in accordance with established job evaluation principles and procedures,” added the PSC.
“The process is governed by standard principles applicable across all evaluation methods: jobs, not people, are graded; reporting lines do not determine a grade; longevity and additional qualifications are not grounds for regrading; and no single individual may unilaterally determine an outcome.”
The job evaluation, the PSC said, was necessitated by disparities in grading structures, overlapping responsibilities and some general inconsistencies that created perceptions of inequity.
Similar jobs were often graded differently, while some employees faced limited opportunities for career growth despite possessing valuable skills and experience, it said.
“One of the most significant benefits of the exercise is the promotion of equity across the public service. Employees can now have greater confidence that grading decisions are based on objective criteria applied consistently across ministries, departments and agencies. The job evaluation exercise is also expected to strengthen organisational effectiveness. By aligning grades with responsibilities, Government institutions can establish clearer reporting structures, eliminate duplication of roles and improve accountability.”
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