States Employment Board: Annual Report 2008.

STATES OF JERSEY

STATES EMPLOYMENT BOARD: ANNUAL REPORT 2008

Presented to the States on 27th March 2009 by the Chief Minister

STATES GREFFE

REPORT

1. T h  e Constitution ofthe Board andchangesmadeduringtheyear

1. F o r the main part of 2008, the States Employment Board (TheBoard) c onstituted of the following members –

S e n at or F.H. Walker , Chief Minister (Chairman)

S e n at or T.A. Le Sueur, Minister for Treasury and Resources

S e n at or M.E. Vibert , Minister for Education, Sport and Culture S e n at or F.E. Cohen, Minister for Planning and Environment.

2. D  eputy I.J. Gorst ofSt. Clement, asanAssistant Minister inthe Chief Minister's Department,attended Board meetings.
3. O  n 15th December 2008, the newlyappointed Council of Ministers electedto reconstitute the Boardas follows –

S e n at or T.A. Le Sueur, Chief Minister (Chairman)

S e n at or P.F.C. Ozouf , Minister for Treasury and Resources

S e n at or J.L. Perchard, Minister for Health and Social Services

C o n n étable M.K. Jackson , Minister for Transport and Technical Services.

4. D  eputy J.A.N. Le Fondréof St.  Lawrence,as an Assistant Minister in the Chief Ministe'rs Department, was invited to attend Board meetings.

2. T h  e numberofmeetings held duringtheyear

2.1 I n 2008, there were 19 Board meetings, of which 5 were conducted by electronic mail/telephone. The Board elected to continue utilizing the service of a Committee Clerk from the States Greffe to prepare an independent record of its proceedings.

3. A s ummaryof the key mattersconsideredby the Board in 2008

1. M a nualWorkers' Joint Council

1. T h e Board recommendedto the States that the following persons beappointed on behalf ofthe States to constitute the Employers' Side of the ManualWorkers' Joint Council –

S e n at or J.L. Perchard

D e p u ty I.J. Gorst of St. Clement

M r . J .M. Pollard (Chief Officer, Health and Social Services)

M r . J .D. Richardson (Chief Officer, Transport and Technical Services).

2. T h eserecommendations were approved by the States.
3. T h e Connétable of St. Helier was, in line with the constitution of the Council, appointedby the Comité des Connétable s to bethe fifth Employers' Side memberof the Council.
4. T he main functions of the Council are the determination of pay and conditions of service and the resolution of grievances and disputes. Given its role asEmployerof all States manualworkers, the Board also plays a crucial part in these activities and clearly needsto maintain a close relationship with the Council.

2. P a y award negotiations fortheperiod 2008 – 2009

5. T  he Board determined a pay policy for all States paygroups for the year 2008 – 2009. The policy, as agreed in the States Business Plan,was that awardsshouldnotexceed the Retail Price Index asatMarch, 2008.
6. T h e Board had meetings with the TradeUnions representing both ManualWorkers and Teacherson this issue during the year.

3. In t roduction of a payprotectionpolicy for employees

7. A  new pay protection policy for employeeswho are down graded throughno fault oftheirown – e.g. in restructurings – was approved bytheBoard. This will provide time-restrictedprotection,basedon length of service, and will applytonew recruits from 1st February 2009.Employees employed before that date will continue to benefit from existing agreements and practices.

4. M i nimumretirement age for uniformedservicespersonnel (P.176 and P.177/2008)

8. T  he Board determined that the minimum retirement age for uniformed staff (Police Officers, Prison Officers, Firefighters, Airport Firefighters and Paramedics) was,at age 50,too low, and proposed to increase this to age55. In arrivingat this view the Board was influenced by 3 factors –

1. increasing longevity in the population generally and the need in time to raise retirement ages for all;
2. In theUK, the minimum retirement ages for Police Officers and Firefighters has been raised to age 55;
3. In his reportin2008onpensions, the ComptrollerandAuditorGeneralhad advised that the States shouldnotallow its staff pensions schemestogetoutof sync with the UK public sector schemes.

9. T h e revisions to the scheme, applying to new recruits from 1stMarch 2009 only, were approved bythe States in January 2009.

5. P e n sions

10. T heboardgavedetailed consideration with its actuary to proposals from the Committee ofManagement of the Public Employees' Contributory Retirement Scheme for restructuring the fundingmethodologyfor valuations of the scheme.These considerations haveextended into 2009.

6. E m  ployeeengagement in political activity

( P . 2 2/2008: Draft Employment of States of Jersey Employees (Amendment No. 3) (Jersey)

Regulations 200-)

11. T he Board successfully asked the States to amend the Employmentof States of Jersey Employees(Jersey) Law 2005 to enable certainclassesofStates employee (representing by far the majority of the workforce) to take part in political activities inthe Island, including standing for electiontothe States as either Senator, Connétable or Deputy .
12. T hese amendments to the appropriate Law in the form of amending Regulations: R&O.45/2008 (Employment of States of Jersey Employees (Amendment No. 3) (Jersey) Regulations 2008) were completed byApril2008 – well intimefor the 2008States' elections.

7. O n going monitoring of staffsuspensionsand related policy matters

13. In May2006, the Chief Minister issuedto States Members a copy of the guidelines which the Board had issued to States Departments on howstaffsuspensionsshouldbe effected, managed and monitored.The Board received and considered 2 bi-annual reports from the HumanResourcesDepartment updating it on all staff suspensions during 2008.

8. I n dependentInquiry into HumanResources' policies andprocedures in relation todisciplinary matters

14. F ollowinganunfairdismissal application to the Jersey EmploymentTribunal,whichwas "settled outof court" by the parties part-way through the Tribunal Hearing, the Board appointed an eminent Professor in EmploymentLaw,andpreviousEmployment Tribunal Chairman in the UK (Professor RobertUpex)to conduct an independent inquiry into the circumstances surrounding that case and to make recommendations for improving our Human Resources policies and procedures in the area of staff discipline and dismissal. ProfessorUpexmade a numberofrecommendations for improving practice, all of which were approvedby the Board. The States were informed accordingly and therecommendations are currently being implemented by the HumanResourcesDepartment.

9. E n d orsement of a reporton succession planning(R.14/2008)

15. T heBoard approved the recommendations of a smallgroupof States Members, supported bytheDirector of Human Resources, concerning successionplanning,and leadership and managementdevelopmentin the public sector. The report was presented totheStateson 12th February 2008.

4. K  ey Manpower Statistics

A t ta c hed at the Appendix are key manpower statistics for 2008.

APPENDIX

Key Manpower Statistics

Headcount (the number of people actually in post as at 31st December 2008): 6 ,654

Department December 2008

Actual exc multiples in departments Chief Minister's Department 192

Non-Executive Departments 219

Treasury and Resources 239

Economic Development 66

Planning and Environment 119

Transport and Technical Services 551

Health and Social Services 2,562

Education, Sport and Culture 1,899

Home Affairs 659

Social Security 137

Housing 38

Total 6,681

Less multiple appointments across depts. -27

Total reported actual December 2008 6,654

"J" category employees

(the number of employees, as at 31st December 2008, with a "J" category housing licence):

659: 10% of headcount. Of these 659, 600 are employed in Health and Social Services and Education, Sport and Culture.

Non-locally qualified employees

(the number of employees, as at 31st December 2008, non-locally qualified under the Regulation of Undertakings Law):

62: less than 1% of headcount.

Sickness absence

Percentage of total possible days lost to sickness absence: 4.12% Average number of days lost to sickness per employee: 9.14 days Ratio of certified to uncertified absence: 37/63

Turnover

(the movement in and out of established posts):

Internal movements (between States Departments): 2.9% External movements (into and out from the States): 12.3% Total turnover during 2008: 15.2%