Amman, July 27 (Petra) – The Cabinet on Monday approved the
justifications for a draft amendment to the 2026 Public Sector Human
Resources Management Bylaw and referred it to the Legislation and
Opinion Bureau to complete the required legal procedures.

The amendments aim to make unpaid leave more flexible while ensuring
the continuity of public services and improving workforce planning.

Under the draft, the minimum service requirement for unpaid leave
would be reduced from five years to three, while the maximum leave
period would no longer be capped.

The requirement for employees to return during the final five years
of service to qualify for a pension would be abolished, allowing
those working abroad to remain in their jobs longer or return when
appropriate.

The draft also extends unpaid study leave within Jordan to five
years, matching the existing limit for study abroad, and allows
employees to voluntarily contribute to Social Security during unpaid
leave.

The new rules would apply to both current employees already on unpaid
leave and those granted leave under the amended bylaw. Government
agencies would be permitted to fill vacancies created by employees on
unpaid leave to maintain uninterrupted public services.

To improve workforce planning, employees would be required to notify
their department one year before returning to work.

According to the government, the amendments are based on practical
experience with the current system and are intended to strengthen
human resources planning, manage vacancies more effectively, and
ensure the efficient delivery of public services.

//Petra// AK