Civil Service Branch
Civil Service Consultation Document
Civil Service Terms of Appointment & Conditions of Service
CHAPTER I Introduction
Background
There are at present four main terms of appointment in the civil service -
local permanent and pensionable terms
local agreement terms
overseas permanent and pensionable terms.
overseas agreement terms.
1.2
Local candidates are normally appointed on local permanent and pensionable (P&P) terms. However, for grades which have difficulty in recruiting or retaining local candidates on P&P terms, local agreement terms may be offered, subject to the advice of the Public Service Commission except for grades which fall outside the Commission's purview.
1.3
An overseas person is appointed to the civil service only if no fully qualified and suitable local person is available and the qualification for appointment cannot be modified to enable a local candidate to be appointed. Since 28 March 1985, all first appointments on overseas terms have been on agreement terms only.
1.4
The status of a candidate for a civil service vacancy, that is whether a person is to be appointed on "overseas" or "local" terms, is established before appointment. A candidate who -
(a) is not habitually resident in Hong Kong, Macau, China or Taiwan;
(b) has his or her general background or social ties somewhere other than
Hong Kong, Macau, China or Taiwan; and
(c) if appointed on local conditions of service, would suffer a material degree
of dislocation or uprooting
will be offered overseas conditions of service only. Anyone who does not meet the criteria