CIVIL SERVICE

Bay of Plenty Beacon, Volume 08, Issue 88, 10 July 1945, Page 7

CIVIL SERVICE

SPECIAL REHABILITATION ARRANGEMENTS A •comprehensive scheme of rc ■habilitation covering the education training and welfare of ex-service men civil servants has been, pre par ed and is. now operating .says j statement issued by the Rehabilitation Department. The arrangements which were recently detailed at length by the Public Service Comprovide for a personal officer being located in every department to attend to rehabilitation > problems. Special care is taken of those who encounter any difficult ties in settling down and if detransfers are arranged when and where possible. The training of ex-servicemen is accelerated as. much as possible by special tutorial advantages within official hours;, while those who do not possess the examination qualifications to enable them to. proceed beyond Class IV are given special assistance in. preparing for the service eaminations. -The policy of efficiency tests in the civil service was abandoned several years ago. Special courses have now been commenced for those exservicemen temporary civil servants who- do not have the educational' requirements for entry to the cleri-» cal division. Teaching is given at classes in Wellington and by correspondence for those in other centres and also i'or those still in the armed forces. Paid leave of up to ten hours

■weekly and in special cases more is granted to enable ex-vservieemei to take approved study courses while ex-servicemen avlio have beet granted full-time bursaries by th< Rehabilitation Board are giver leave without pay so that they car undertake the courses including the two-year coirrse for the Diploma in Public Administration at Victoria University College. Other special provisions now operating include the payment of salary increases and superannuation contributions that accrued during the payment of accumulated leave at the rate of two weeks for every year of service j while consideration is given for the granting of 18 months leave without pay to those who may not wish to remain in the service. For purposes of appeal no civil servant is deemed to have lost cxperience } efficiency or suitability 011 account of . his absence on service I from his department.. In fact in many cases promotions have been granted to men still in the armed forces and acting appointments have been made in a number of cases to safeguard the rights of men still serving. On resuming duty every permanent officer has the right of appeal against any other permanent officer being promoted in the former's absence on service if the position would have involved his own promotion. Should a civil seri vant absent on service be considered the most Suitable for _promotion, but is not eligible on account of examination the policy is to promote him subject to his passing the required examination within two years of his returning to his departmental duties. Civil servants in eofnmon with all other ex-servicemen are of course •S ' also eligible to apply for the usual rehabilitation assistance. All the above provisions apply naturally to ex-scrvicewo-men as well as to men.