LABOUR TURNOVER IN THE PUBLIC SERVICE: THE CASE OF LAWYERS IN THE MINISTRY OF JUSTICE IN MALAWI

Abstract

This study aimed at analysing labour turnover of lawyers in the Ministry of Justice with a view to: determine its magnitude; investigate its underlying causes; determine its effect on the Ministry‟s effective delivery of legal services to its clients; find out the retention approaches the Ministry is using to reduce it; and to identify implementation challenges of the retention approaches the Ministry is using to reduce it. The population for the study consisted of serving lawyers (40) and former lawyers (60). A sample of 50 participants (that is, 20 serving lawyers and 30 former lawyers), selected using a systematic sampling technique, was used in the study. Data were collected using questionnaires. The study covered a period of six consecutive years (that is, from 2010 to 2015). The study revealed that the Ministry‟s magnitude of turnover of lawyers was varying from year to year over the six years period studied with an average turnover rate of 10.9 %. It further found that the main causes of the lawyers‟ turnover include: lack of advancement opportunities; favouritism; poor working conditions; uncompetitive remuneration package; among others. Results also revealed that the labour turnover of lawyers has negatively affected the Ministry‟s effective delivery of legal services to its clients as there is decline and disruption in service delivery; reduction in quality of services delivered, among other effects. Additionally, the study also revealed that the Ministry has some retention approaches in place for reducing turnover of lawyers such as monthly payment of non practicing allowance, newly recruited lawyers appointed direct into super scale, etcetera. On the other hand, the study also revealed that there are some implementation challenges of the retention initiatives the Ministry is using to reduce the lawyers‟ turnover such as inadequate and erratic monthly fundings from Treasury. Overall, the findings have shown that the Ministry‟s management should not rely only on extrinsic variables to influence the lawyers‟ decision to stay; rather, a combination of both extrinsic and intrinsic variables should be considered as an effective way of addressing the Ministry‟s problem of turnover of lawyers.