Civil Service staff now allowed to wear niqab

The Civil Service regulations have been amended, now officially allowing civil service workers to wear niqab (a veil covering face) to work. 

The regulations as it stood before required civil service staff to be identifiable when providing service. This led to complaints from staff who opted to wear the niqab, with the Civil Service Commission (CSC) then deciding that such staff can wear an identification tag at work. However, the regulation itself remained unchanged at the time.  

The amendment brought to the Civil Service regulations yesterday state that staff providing services that require clear identification must wear a card or tag displaying their name and designation. 

CSC Counsel General Ibrahim Rasheed stated that the regulations previously posed obstacles to working while wearing the niqab. However, these obstacles have now been removed with the new change, he said. 

The regulations previously stated that all services of the civil service carry responsibility and accountability. Due to this, service seekers must be able to clearly identify the staff providing service. For this purpose, the regulation states that civil service staff's attire at work must allow clear identification. 

Staff that needs to clearly identifiable include receptionists and other frontline workers. 

"We had allowed some leniency even before, now it's been made more clear, any service can be provided while wearing the niqab," Rasheed explained. 

Rasheed said that due to the obstructions faced by those wearing niqab, many competent workers also avoid applying for jobs. 

"With the current change, a staff that wears niqab will face no issues in providing service to the public," he said. 

While the Civil Service has allowed niqab at work, the judicial sector also recently announced the same change.