State as an employer
The decisions of the state need to be understandable, transparent and legal. There need to be as few public servants as possible and as many as necessary, the personnel related financial management needs to be carefully considered. State personnel policy needs to be flexible to correspond to societal changes (incl. reduction of working age population, agening, changes in salary market etc). The personnel management needs to be in line with the general aims of the governance, needs to be consistent, sustainable, to assure equal treatment of everyone and foster gender equality.
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Principles in developing personnel policy
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The decisions of the government as an employer must be understandable, transparent and legitimate.
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The government’s workforce must be as compact as possible and as large as necessary, and the related budget management must be carefully considered.
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The government’s workforce must be as compact as possible and as large as necessary, and the related budget management must be carefully considered.
- The government’s personnel policy must consider the developments in the society (incl. declining working age population, aging of population, changes in the wage market, etc.).
- The personnel policy management of government must be based on the general goals of the state, consistent and sustainable, and ensure equal treatment and promote gender equality.
Strategic personnel management objectives 2021-2023
- The government as an attractive employer;
- Excellent leadership at all levels;
- Dedicated and professional employees;
- Smart and efficient personnel workers.
The personnel policy of the state is decentralised. In order to achieve common goals, cooperation and managed networks are important, whereby one can learn from the best practices of others and agree on common operating principles.
Current Civil Service Act entered into force on 1 April 2013. It updated the organisation of the public service in Estonia and stipulated the legal status of an official. The act paves the way for the emergence of a simple, clear and efficient system for the aprraisal of officials. The salary system is more transparent and fair, as it considers the employment market and the each persons responsibility and competitiveness. The Ministry of Finance is responsible for the implementation of the Civil Service Act.
In March 2015, the Council of Ethics for Officials approved new Code of Ethics. The Code includes the set of ethical values and principles which a person excercising public authority has to follow. The Council of Ethics for Officials is responsible for supporting the implementation of the Code.
Contact
Mr. Martin Kulp, Head of the Public Administration and Public Service Department
Last updated: 13.01.2026
