Ferdinand | EducationGhana | May 07| Unveiling the Truth about Responsibility Allowance for GES Staff

The truth about responsibility allowance and how it works. Learn about the eligibility criteria and the impact of the responsibility allowance on your salary and recognition. Find out who is entitled to receive the responsibility allowance and how it contributes to your Social Security and National Insurance Trust (SSNIT) contribution and affordability. Avoid misconceptions and false assumptions by understanding the intricacies of the responsibility allowance.

Contrary to popular belief, the responsibility allowance for Ghana Education Service (GES) staff does not appear as a separate item on the payslip. It is not a flat rate or the same amount paid to everyone or a fixed percentage of one’s basic salary. Instead, it is a movement up by a step on the Single Spine Salary Scale.

How Responsibility Allowance Works

Let’s take a closer look at how the responsibility allowance is calculated. When a staff member is assigned an additional duty or responsibility in addition to their primary role, or appointed to a position that demands extra from them, they become eligible for the responsibility allowance.

For example, consider a teacher who is ranked as a Principal Superintendent at level 16h on the Single Spine Salary Scale. If they are promoted to headmaster of their school, their salary level will be moved from 16H to 17H when placed on the responsibility allowance. This movement in salary levels creates the responsibility allowance.

It’s important to note that the salary levels on the Single Spine Salary Scale are categorized using “H” and “L,” which stand for high and low. These letters serve as a categorization criteria, but every salary level also has points that increase by 1 each year.

Every movement in points culminates in an incremental jump in salary. For example, if level 16h point 1 is 2,000GH, this figure increases by a certain amount each year.

Therefore, an officer at level 16h point 1, before receiving the responsibility allowance and moving to level 17H, will see more money added to their salary compared to another officer at level 16H point 5. This is because the officer at point 1 has already moved closer to level 17H through yearly incremental jumps.

• An assistant director ii, who is on level 18h, will be moved to level 19l when placed on the responsibility allowance.
• An assistant director 1, who is on level 19h, will be moved to level 20l when placed on the responsibility allowance.
• A deputy director, who is on level 20h, will be moved to level 21l when placed on the responsibility allowance.

The salary difference between these salary levels becomes the responsibility allowance. For example, if level 16h is 2k and level 17h is 2.3k, the 300gh difference becomes the responsibility allowance.

It’s important to note that every salary level has points, which increase by 1 each year. Every movement in points results in an incremental jump in salary. For example, if level 16h point 1 is 2k, this figure increases by 50gh each year.

Therefore, an officer at level 16h point 1 before receiving the responsibility allowance to level 17h will see more money added to their salary compared to another officer at level 16h point 5. This is because the officer at level 16h point 1 is already closer to level 17h due to the yearly incremental jumps.

It’s also worth mentioning that the responsibility allowance is not a fixed amount. The salary difference between the previous salary level and the new salary level after the movement becomes the responsibility allowance. For example, if level 16h is 2,000GH and level 17h is 2,300GH, the difference of 300GH becomes the responsibility allowance.

Eligibility for Responsibility Allowance

To be eligible for the responsibility allowance, GES staff members should be assigned an additional duty or responsibility or be appointed to a position that demands extra from them. Additionally, they should be at least on the rank of Principal Superintendent.

BASIC SCHOOL STAFF ELIGIBILITY

In the basic school, only the headteacher is entitled to the responsibility allowance. For example, in a primary school with a staff of 9, only one person among them, the headmaster, enjoys the responsibility allowance.

The assistant does not receive it. The same applies to junior high school, where only the Head is entitled to the allowance. Form masters and assistant heads do not receive it either.

SHS/TVET  STAFF ELIGIBILITY

In the senior high school, the list of staff members eligible for the responsibility allowance is extended. It includes the Headmaster, the assistants, chaplains/imams, form masters, guidance and counselling coordinators, heads of the 9 designated departments, and house masters/mistresses. It is important to note that not every teacher in the senior high school receives the responsibility allowance.

Officers at the GES offices are not left out either. Frontline heads at the various district and regional offices, as well as unit heads, are also eligible for the responsibility allowance.

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Impact of Responsibility Allowance

The responsibility allowance is an addition to one’s salary and can have an impact on their Social Security and National Insurance Trust (SSNIT) contribution and affordability.

However, it’s important to note that the responsibility allowance is not a significant increment that would make someone a billionaire. It is a recognition of the additional duties and responsibilities undertaken by GES staff members.

In conclusion, the responsibility allowance for GES staff is a movement up by a step on the Single Spine Salary Scale, rather than a separate item on the payslip.

It is calculated based on the salary difference between the previous salary level and the new salary level after the movement.

Eligibility for the responsibility allowance is determined by the additional duties and responsibilities assigned to staff members, as well as their rank within the GES hierarchy. While it is an addition to one’s salary, it is not a significant increment that would result in substantial wealth.