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