Debated in Parliament on 11 Feb 2019.
Mr Desmond Choo asked the Minister for Home Affairs (a) what is the percentage of Singapore Prison officers re-employed at retirement; (b) what is the average length of re-employment; (c) whether there are adjustments to wages and benefits for the re-employed officers; and (d) how can trained prison officers be redeployed at retirement to manage lockup or remand duties within the other Home Team agencies.
In the last five years, about 20% of retired Prison Officers were re-employed. Their re-employment contracts range from one to three years, which may be renewed, depending on organisational needs.
For those officers whom Prisons is unable to re-employ because of headcount constraints, Prisons helps them look for suitable job opportunities. The Home Team Career Transition Office also organises regular career advisory sessions for officers to network with potential employers. Officers are provided with time-off and subsidies to attend training to enhance their employability, and to participate in employer attachment programmes. Through these efforts, some Prison officers have successfully secured second careers within and outside the Home Team, such as the Industrial and Services Cooperative Society, halfway houses and in the healthcare and social service sectors.
Currently, officers re-employed under the Home Affairs Uniformed Scheme (HUS) get a 3% pay cut to their last drawn salary. We have recently reviewed this guideline. From 1 April 2019, officers will be paid the last drawn salary if they are re-employed in the same level job in the HUS scheme.
On the other hand, if an HUS officer is re-employed in a civilian role or deployed to a smaller job, the salary will have to be adjusted accordingly.
All re-employed officers are eligible for wage components, such as performance bonus and annual increment, as well as benefits, such as vacation leave, medical care and training. These terms are consistent with the re-employment guidelines for the Public Service.
PAPERCUTS