The National Pay Commission has approved the 7th amendment to the Public Service Pay Framework, introducing better allowances and overtime benefits for public sector employees during Ramadan. The changes, now published in the Government Gazette, take immediate effect.

A key highlight of the amendment is that employees providing essential services between the 20th day of Ramadan and the end of the month will receive an attendance benefit for each day they report to work. Additionally, this period is now officially classified as "official holidays" under the Employment Act, entitling employees who work during these days to an allowance equivalent to two-thirds of the standard holiday duty allowance, as outlined in Article 38 of the Act.

The amendment also ensures fairer overtime compensation, aligning overtime pay during Ramadan with official holiday rates. Furthermore, any Government holidays declared by the President’s Office – beyond those in the official calendar – will now follow the same overtime structure. Unlike regular overtime regulations, these extra holidays will not count toward the existing 10 percent limit, guaranteeing full overtime pay for all required working hours.

Another notable improvement is that employees under the Public Service Pay Framework will receive an attendance allowance for all days from the 20th day of Ramadan until the end of the month, excluding Fridays and Saturdays, even if they do not report to work physically.