The Department of Public Service and Administration (DPSA) has issued a circular instructing all government departments to exclusively use new Persal codes for capturing public servants’ special leave, effective from August 1, 2024.
This change follows a resolution at the General Public Service Sectoral Bargaining Council (GPSSBC) between organized labor and the employer.
According to DPSA Director-General, Ms Yoliswa Makhasi, the old special leave codes will be made inactive, and departments must use the newly created Persal codes to record special leave under the new dispensation. This is to ensure a smooth transition and accurate record-keeping.
The new Persal codes cover a range of special leave categories, including:
– Examinations/Tests
– Research-Post Graduate Qualifications
– Attend Classes during working hours
– Training-Practical work
– Amateur Sport-participation
– Cultural Events-participation
– Religious Holidays
– Natural Disasters-Unforeseen
– Resettlement
– Rehabilitation-Substance Abuse
– Sexual Harassment
– Community/Third Party Protests and Absence not Recorded as Leave
Departments are responsible for obtaining, managing, and verifying the required proof and supporting documentation for special leave, which will be kept on record for leave audit purposes.
Marius Klue, Director of Persal at the National Treasury, stated that all old department-specific leave subcategory codes within the GPSSBC will be made inactive on August 1, 2024.
Departments utilizing the Persal Leave interface have until July 31, 2024, to adjust their leave systems to use the new leave subcategory codes.
