Conditions of Service and Discipline Branch Column

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Early retirement and re-employment

Question: My name is Cheung, a police officer appointed under the Old Pension Scheme. I will be 45 years old next year and am eligible for early retirement and re-employment. As my son intends to further his studies in the United Kingdom next year, I want to apply for early retirement and re-employment so that I can support his studies with my "lump sum pension". However, I have learnt that the benefits relating to education and housing, etc. of an officer will be cancelled after re-employment. Is this true?

Answer: Basically, the service conditions of re-employed officers are similar to those prior to retirement. Officers are still entitled to the education, housing (but are no longer entitled to down payment loan application), medical and dental benefits they enjoyed before re-employment.

The main difference is that the officers concerned are required to make a monthly contribution to the Mandatory Provident Fund Scheme (MPF) at five per cent of the monthly salary or $1,000. Furthermore, re-employed officers will have a gratuity upon satisfactory completion of a re-employment agreement. The gratuity together with the government contribution to the MPF is equivalent to 25 per cent of the total basic salary of the substantive appointment during the contract period.

Under Hong Kong's pension legislation, payment of re-employed officers' monthly pension will be suspended during the period of re-employment.

Early retirement is an important decision in one's life. Before making an application, officers must consider all factors carefully, such as job security, financial income and so on. Officers should also note that an application for further re-employment might be unsuccessful, and re-employment might be terminated or the re-employment term be shortened.

Putting up sibling

Question: "I'm working in Traffic Kowloon West. I've a brother from the Mainland who has now settled down in Hong Kong. Can I accommodate him with the spare room in my quarters? And what procedures do I need to go through?"

Answer: PGO 62-03(2) stipulates: "No person other than the officer, his/her legal spouse, dependent children and domestic servants shall be permitted to live in a quarter without the consent of the Commissioner." Therefore, unless you have obtained recommendation from a Force Welfare Officer and subsequent approval from the Quarters Allocation Committee on compassionate grounds, you cannot accommodate your brother with the spare room. You are required to make an application even for accommodating your parents.