The Voluntary Separation Policy (VSP) developed by the Deputy Governor and his Chief Officers has now received the approval of Cabinet.

Civil Servants have until 31 October 2013 to review the policy, which the Portfolio of the Civil Service has published internally today (3 October 2013). If they are interested in the scheme, they should make an application or ask questions before the deadline. Separation from the service is expected to begin as early as January 2014.

Eligibility is limited to core civil service workers who have open-ended employment agreements with the Cayman Islands Government. A business case by the relevant Chief Officer that shows how an organization expects to achieve improved efficiency through the separation must accompany applications.

Commenting on the requirement that a business case accompany any applications for voluntary separation, Mr Manderson remarked: “To successfully reduce the size of the civil service in a manner that avoids negative impacts for the public, we feel it is very important to plan this process. The approach of doing more with less is not something we can sustain without impacting the quality of service we provide.”

Persons considering the proposal will have access to advice from the Public Service Pension Board as well as Lewis Consulting Services.

A voluntary separation committee, made up of the Deputy Governor, the Financial Secretary and the Chief Officer of PoCS, will assess the impact of the proposed scheme on individuals and their organisations.

Compensation for successful applicants will be based on continuous service. They will also have access to limited CINICO coverage ranging from three to six months.