The legislature yesterday passed the third reading of an amendment to the Public Functionary Service Act (公務員服務法), which specifies the maximum number of working hours for civil servants and relaxes rules regarding work outside of their government jobs.
The Examination Yuan said it proposed the amendment because the content, strictness and scope of regulations concerning public servants needed updating to meet changes in society.
The proposal was in line with Constitutional Judgement No. 785, which sets the maximum number of working hours and states that a shift system should be established to protect public servants’ health and right to hold public offices.
Photo: CNA
Article 4 of the act prohibits public servants from making statements about their duties or on behalf of their agencies or institutions without the permission of their superiors.
The amendment retains those restrictions, but adds that they are also prohibited from making statements about the services provided by their agencies or institutions.
The amendment also stipulates that public servants must adhere to their designated work schedules, and not arrive late or leave early. Total working hours should be eight hours per day and 40 hours per week, and they should take two days off per week.
Working hours can be adjusted as long as public services are not affected, it says.
The regulation applies to the Presidential Office, the National Security Council, authorities of schools at all levels and the Executive Yuan.
Overtime cannot result in a public servant working more than 12 hours per day, and they cannot work more than 60 hours of overtime per month, it says.
However, while engaging in disaster relief, dealing with urgent or sudden incidents or handling special projects, public servants’ maximum overtime working hours can be set by the Presidential Office, the National Security Council or the five branches of government, it says.
Intervals between each shift should be at least 11 hours, but exceptions can be made for special circumstances, it adds.
Public servants cannot engage in outside work that requires additional certification, but can participate in charitable activities and other nonrecurring, noncontinuous work outside their contracted working time as long as their full-time job is not affected, it says.
It also allows public servants to earn money outside of work using their skills, through sale of property, or through use of their intellectual property or portrait rights.
Civil servants’ pursuits outside of work must not tarnish the reputation of public servants or the government, nor obstruct or conflict with their full-time jobs, it adds.
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