Since 2019, more than 10,000 civil servants have left their jobs, with most choosing to resign voluntarily. Royal Civil Service Commission, RCSC’s Annual Reports show that many were mid-career professionals with experience and expertise. Economic pressures, career development opportunities, and changes in HR policies and performance management have driven this trend.
While the RCSC has managed to slow departures, the struggle to retain experienced mid-career professionals continues.
In the past five financial years, 1,140 civil servants with 15 to 20 years of service resigned voluntarily. These were skilled professionals with specialised expertise.
Mid-career exits were most visible among teachers, architects, engineers, and agriculture and forestry professionals.
More than 370 were teachers, 158 from agriculture and forestry, 111 from architectural and engineering services, and 36 were health professionals.
Since 2019, a total of 10,313 civil servants have resigned.
Attrition peaked in the 2022–23 financial year, when more than 4,800 civil servants left. Of these, 3,413 were voluntary resignations. It is over 10 per cent of the entire civil service.
To retain mid-career professionals longer, the RCSC has raised the superannuation age and revised pension rules, extending lump-sum eligibility from 20 to 23 years.
It is also introducing a new Manpower Management Framework, increasing recruitment flexibility, and rehiring experienced staff on contracts.
Tashi Dekar
