The Public Prosecutor’s Office (OM) of Aruba has published its 2025 annual report, in which labor and human resource management occupy a central position. The document, recently governed and approved by the Directorate, details how the organization has taken firm steps to professionalize its staff, introduce strict conduct rules against workplace bullying (pesten), and how they managed to maintain a sickness absence rate (ziekteverzuim) much lower than the rest of the Aruban government apparatus.
New Rules: Zero Tolerance Against ‘Bullying’
On August 19, 2025, the Public Prosecutor’s Office made a progressive step in its internal structure by updating its Personnel Regulations (Personeelsreglement). One of the most striking and significant changes was the formal introduction of a clause in their code of conduct textually stipulating that bullying (bothering or harassing colleagues) is strictly prohibited in the workplace. With this, the management wants to guarantee a safe and professional workplace for all employees.
Furthermore, in the same spirit of protection and legality, a new complaints regulation (klachtenreglement) was approved in November 2025.
Staff Strength and Structural Vacancies
Regarding the workforce (personeelssterkte), as of December 2025, the total organic strength of the OM closed at 51 structural employees, an increase compared to the 48 in 2024. This staff is divided explicitly into:
• 36 ordinary civil servants (ambtenaar), a decrease compared to 39 the previous year.
• 11 judicial officers/prosecutors (rechterlijke ambtenaar), increasing by one slot compared to 2024.
• 4 employment contractors (arbeidscontractanten).
Outside of this staff covered by the general budget, the OM has a special group of 12 extra employees (1 judicial officer and 11 contractors) who are funded directly by the so-called ‘funds earmarked for combating subversion’ (ondermijningsgelden).
It was also announced that two office secretaries (parketsecretaris) who had a temporary appointment as acting substitute prosecutors (plaatsvervangend substituut-officier van justitie) saw their positions structurally formalized in January 2026 with a permanent contract. At the end of December 2025, the organization still had 2 open vacancies to be filled: one for an asset tracer (vermogenstraceerder) and one for AO/IC (administrative organization/internal control). During the year 2025, the OM said goodbye to three colleagues and welcomed a new prosecutor general (advocaat-generaal), two prosecutors (officier van justitie), an IT expert, and a legal policy advisor (juridisch beleidsmedewerker).
Occupational Health: Absenteeism Under Strict Control
One of the greatest achievements presented by the OM in its report is the control over sickness absenteeism (ziekteverzuim), displaying figures that are the envy of the rest of the public sector.
Although absenteeism within the OM rose slightly (from 1.97% in 2024 to 3.17% in 2025), it remains structurally more than half lower compared to the general average of Aruban Government departments, which reaches a high of 6.89%. A highly remarkable fact is that a total of 16 employees achieved “Zero Absence,” meaning they did not report sick for a single day during the entire year.
Performance Management: Continuous Evaluation for Growth
The transition of the staff is not remaining solely on paper, but also in performance. Over the course of 2025, the Performance Management system consolidated itself. After a learning process in 2023 and implementation in 2024, continuous feedback was given structurally this year.
It was reported that department heads and staff sat down to hold planning, progress, and evaluation conversations. Although the workload is high in such a dynamic organization, the evaluations demonstrated that the quality of work and the commitment of the OM employees towards the country remain at an exceptionally high and positive level.
