Senior civil servants will receive bonuses for exceptional performance for the first time under a new system that, according to Cabinet Office minister Darren Jones, is designed to reward "doers, not talkers." This is a bold move in a profession where the primary currency has traditionally been meetings about meetings.
Jones, who is also chief secretary to the prime minister, announced that most civil servants will get a 3.5% pay rise, but senior staff will have a base increase of 2.5%, with 1% held back for bonuses for the highest performing officials. So, it's essentially a pay raise with a side of Hunger Games for the top brass.
The idea of performance-related pay for senior civil servants was initially trialled by the Conservatives before the last election and has since been championed by Labour. Because nothing says bipartisanship like figuring out how to pay people more for doing their jobs well.
In January, Jones set out his ambition to "rewire" the civil service, pledging to bring in bonuses for top performers across senior ranks to encourage excellence. On Thursday, he clarified that the government wants to award "higher but fewer bonuses to those exceptional senior civil servants who go above and beyond." So, not just a participation trophy for showing up to the briefing.
The government did not accept the pay review body's recommendation for a 3.5% increase for senior staff, instead opting to retain some cash to reward a few top performers. It will also bring in an uplift of £5,000 to the lowest band of senior civil servant pay, meaning some more officials will get raises. Hooray for the little guys.
Jones added: "This is just the start to improving our pay system … This is one of the many steps I am taking to power up the system to make sure words are turned into action." Because we've all had enough of words, right? Unless they're followed by a bonus.
Lauren Crowley, assistant general secretary of the FDA, the union for senior civil servants, said the 3.5% overall award compares favourably to the wider public sector and current inflation figures. She noted that pay systems have been "blighted by a lack of meaningful pay progression for almost two decades," which is a polite way of saying "we've been underpaid for a really long time."
Jones's speech in January centred on a promise to "move fast, fix things," creating savings of £2bn a year by 2030. He also suggested more civil servants would be "shown the door" if they did not meet standards. So, it's either bonuses or the boot - a classic motivational technique.
The government has made a stream of announcements this week as Keir Starmer faces pressure to show he is delivering for the country at a time of threat to his leadership. The views of his potential rivals, including Wes Streeting and Andy Burnham, on civil service reform are not yet known. But hey, who needs rivals when you have bonuses?