Public service is one of the most extensive employment sectors in our country. Many civil servants work in the public sector and retire from these positions. Civil servants are appointed to public posts based on examinations, and during their service they may receive step and grade promotions. To enable step progression or grade advancement, specific conditions must be met by the civil servant. The requirements for civil servant grade advancement are therefore important.
Before explaining grade advancement, it helps to clarify what step progression and grade promotion mean. Step progression (kadem e ilerlemesi) occurs when civil servants perform successfully within their current grade. It is the movement from one step to the next within the same grade. Certain conditions must be satisfied for step progression to take place. When those conditions are met, the civil servant’s step increase can be processed.
For step progression to occur, a civil servant must have served at least one year in that step. In addition, the service record (sicil) for that year must be positive. Another condition is that there must be a higher step available within the same grade; if there is no higher step, progression cannot occur. The civil servant must also not have received any disciplinary punishment within the last eight years.
The approval authority for step progression is the appointing officer who has the power to authorize the promotion. These authorities may delegate their step-related powers. Civil servants who are ineligible for step progression are identified by their institutions through monthly approvals. If it is later determined that a person who received a step increase is not fit for the position, the measures provided by regulations allow for the reversal of that step progression.
Grade advancement (derece yükselmesi) follows similar principles. Grade promotion means advancement to a higher grade that reflects an increase in the importance and responsibility of the role within a class. When the conditions for grade advancement are met, civil servants can be promoted to a higher grade. The main conditions for grade advancement are as follows:
- The civil servant must have remained in the current grade for at least three years, and must have actually received the salary of the third step within that grade for one full year.
- There must be a vacant position in the higher grade related to the civil servant’s current grade.
- The civil servant must have the qualifications required for the higher post.
- When these conditions are fulfilled, grade advancement can be carried out.
There are also exceptions to the three-year requirement within a grade. In certain circumstances the three-year rule is not applied. These exceptions include:
- For those who entered civil service after completing military service, the three-year requirement is not applied. Time spent in military service is accepted as part of the period counted in the public service and within the grade.
- If a civil servant’s average rating over the last six years of service records is 90 or above, the three-year period is waived; such civil servants may be eligible for grade advancement after two years.
- The civil servant must possess the qualifications required for the position to which the vacant post is allocated.
- The civil servant must be rated, in terms of service record, as suitable for promotion to the higher grade, and there must be a vacant position in that higher grade.
When these conditions are met, eligible civil servants may be promoted to a higher grade without waiting the full three-year period. The status of the service record is particularly important in grade promotion. If a civil servant’s most recent service evaluation is not positive, promotion to a higher grade cannot proceed. Therefore, civil servants who aim to qualify for grade advancement should pay careful attention to their service records.