Australia. Do public servants receive too much superannuation?
Hopefully, the Prime Minister’s review of the Australian Public Service will address much more than its terms of reference’s emphasis on technology and “innovation”. One important issue is the way remuneration is set so the APS can attract and retain the skills it needs. I also hope the review is not too influenced by private sector experience but draws carefully on public sector experience, particularly where the public sector has a superior record (for example, in its ethical culture).
I have long criticised the way public service pay is determined, advocating more rigorous market comparisons to attract and retain the right staff, rather than the prevailing methodology of agency-level “productivity”-based adjustments (which defies the way productivity affects remuneration in the market, and inevitably leads to gaming, differences in pay and conditions for the same work in different agencies, and overly complex administration across the APS).
Read More: The Sidney Morning Herald
