Clear regulations will be drafted by year’s end to better define what a position of trust is, civil service head Mario Cutajar said this morning.

Mr Cutajar said guidelines had been drawn up under the previous administration but these were too wide and as things stood today any employment with government outside the civil service structures had to be considered a position of trust.

“If a minister wants to employ an advisor for a specific job, the only way to do so is on a basis of trust. But should an advisor be considered a person of trust? The current system does not cater for such instances,” Mr Cutajar said when asked about the issue that has become political contentious since the election.

He was addressing a press briefing on the fringes of a day-long conference about the civil service’s employee support programme.

Mr Cutajar said he did not believe the person of trust system was abused but acknowledged clearer rules had to be put in place.

There have been various instances where people were engaged on a person of trust basis, including cleaners, ambulance drivers and a dog handler.

“I believe in a hybrid public service.  In some aspects people have to be roped in to do a particular for a defined period. What we will definitely not do is shift people employed on a person of trust basis to a full-time job with the civil service like happened in the past,” Mr Cutajar added.

He said the Public Service Commission was investigating 11 cases of people engaged with the civil service irregularly by the previous administration after first having been employed on a person of trust basis.

“Work is being done to define better what a position of trust is and where such posts are necessary. The regulations will also define other categories of employment such as advisors,” he said.

Employee support programme

Mr Cutajar said the civil service was possibly the only employer that offered workers support services for problems that may crop up as a result of personal or work-related difficulties.

The employee support programme offers a holistic service, including psychological help, to workers as a result of bereavement, mental health issues and other difficulties.

Mr Cutajar said some 600 civil servants availed themselves of the free service over the past five years. Some 70 per cent of the issues were domestic problems while the rest had work-related concerns.

“Employee wellbeing is important to us because the service we give to clients depends on our people and their ability to deliver,” he said.