Work conditions and well-being of public servants

A minimum of criteria for the organisation of occupational safety and health are established

Legislation establishes the minimum criteria for the organisation of occupational health and safety (OHS) in the public administration, including at least: • The obligation of the employer to designate one or more workers to carry out activities related to the protection and prevention of occupational risks in the organisation. • Designated workers may not be placed at any disadvantage because of their activities related to the protection and prevention of occupational risks, and they shall be allowed adequate time to fulfil their obligations in this area. • If protective and preventive measures cannot be organised because of a lack of competent personnel in the organisation, the employer shall enlist competent external services or persons. All three occupational safety health elements must be met to be awarded 2 points.

Job satisfaction or engagement surveys of public servants are carried out

At least one centrally co-ordinated job satisfaction or engagement survey was carried out within last three years in the central government administration. This information should be available from the central public service human resource management co-ordination unit. If this is not the case, information from five sample institutions is collected (the same sample is used) whether they carried out job satisfaction or engagement surveys.

Conclusions of the surveys are implemented

There is evidence that at least some conclusions/recommendations of the centrally co-ordinated satisfaction survey were taken up for action (information requested from the central public service human resource management co-ordination unit but can be related to individual institutions). If there was no such survey in the assessment year or the previous year, the situation in five central government institutions is analysed (if any of them conducted a survey). If conclusions of a centrally co-ordinated job satisfaction or engagement survey were taken up for action – 4 points. If such a survey was not conducted, but all sample institutions provided evidence for taking up some conclusions for action – 4 points are awarded. If there is no such evidence from all five institutions – 0 points are awarded.

The methodology for measuring absences due to illness is adopted and consistent across the central government administration

This key performance indicator (KPI) can be presented as the average number of days per year or as a percentage of employment – both are acceptable. However, a methodology ensuring a consistent approach at the level of individual institutions needs to be adopted and available. This may mean, for example, that there is a protocol, instruction, etc. issued by the authority responsible for occupational health and safety (OSH) in public administration (or the central co-ordination unit for the public service) on how to collect and calculate this criterion.

Data on absences due to illness in the public administration is consistently collected

Actual values of absence days due to illness for the last full calendar year and the previous full calendar year are to be provided for the entire administration (data for the central government administration is analysed if data is not available for entire public service) and for the following institutions: • Ministry responsible for finance • Ministry responsible for internal affairs (interior) • Ministry responsible for education • Tax agency/administration • Employment agency • Three institutions with the highest level of absences due to illnesses in central government administration If any of the indicated agencies do not exist, the largest agency subordinated to the government, prime minister, or any minister is analysed instead (for the purpose of the assessment, police is not considered a government agency; agencies in charge of providing education and health care are excluded). Points are allocated based on the number of data points for the selected institutions (x): • x < 8 = 0 points • 8 ≤ x ≤ 15 = linear function • x > 15 = 2 points.