[gonzo41]

Most governments have this problem. I've thought about this a lot in the Australian context and think the best way of solving the problem would be to hire on a 5 year contract that doesn't auto renew by default so you have to stay in shape for the job or look around for new options at year 4 - 4.5 and plan your exit.

In addition to this, I would also reform certain benefits that government employee's get such as long service leave after 10 years. I'd make it available at a pro-rata rate from 2.5 years onwards so people can either bank it up or start using it earlier.

I feel like these two things alone would create a lot of flexibility for government agencies and departments that would allow them to take people on for serious work, over serious timelines but not be burdened by the threat of a bad hire that will stick around forever.