The Examination Yuan yesterday said a new policy giving civil servants three days of flexible mental health leave would start on Oct. 10.
The Examination Yuan last month approved an amendment to the Regulations on Civil Servants’ Leave Days (公務人員請假規則), which added mental health days, and revamped the system for civil servants’ days off and procedures for application.
Only the part of the amendment covering mental health days is to take effect on Oct. 10, in observance of World Mental Health Day, the Examination Yuan said, adding that the rest the amendment is to be implemented on Jan. 1 next year.
Photo courtesy of the Examination Yuan
The mental health days aim to encourage civil servants to take days off to ensure their psychological and physical well-being, the Examination Yuan said in a statement.
The leave could be taken on an hourly basis and would be considered a form of personal leave, it added.
No documentation is required to take a mental wellness leave, and the application cannot be refused, it said, adding that no punishments can be implemented for taking such leave.
The amendment also states that civil servants should have no less than three days of leave per year, to ensure that people just starting their careers would also have guaranteed rest and recreation time, it said.
Regulations would be relaxed to ease the entry and exit of people from government jobs, it added.
The leave of civil servants quitting their jobs, those who get a different public job, personnel outside of state-owned industries, contracted civil servants, educators at state-funded schools and volunteer soldiers who become civil servants would be in accordance with the days off at their new job if their previous employment days did not segue smoothly into their new job, it said.
Meanwhile, restrictions for unpaid leave to take care of children or grandchildren younger than three would be relaxed, the amendment showed.
Leave would be based on the person’s length of tenure and associated benefits, in terms of off days or wages, it added.
Unpaid maternity leave should not count toward employees’ annual leave and number of personal leave days, it said.
The amendment also introduced a clause stating that civil servants must use their annual and compensatory leave before they take personal leave, which is subject to wage deductions.
The clause aims to address civil servants exploiting loopholes in the law by taking long periods of personal leave, as there are no limits on the number of such days off people can take, the Examination Yuan said.
Additional reporting by CNA
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