States Employment Board: Annual Report 2009.

STATES OF JERSEY

STATES EMPLOYMENT BOARD: ANNUAL REPORT 2009

Presented to the States on 11th June 2010 by the Chief Minister

STATES GREFFE

2010   Price code: B  R.72

REPORT

1. The Constitution of the Board and changes made during the year

1. For the main part of 2009, the Board consisted of the following members –

Senator T.A. Le Sueur , Chief Minister (Chairman)

Senator P.F.C. Ozouf , (Minister for Treasury and Resources)

Connétable M.L. Jackson , (Minister for Transport and Technical Services).

2. In  June  2009  Senator  Terry  Le  Main  (Minister  for  Housing)  replaced Senator J. L. Perchard.
3. Deputy J.A.N. Le Fondré, as an Assistant Minister in the Chief Minister's Department, attended some Board meetings.

2. The number of meetings held during the year

2.1  In  2009,  there  were  22  Board  meetings  of  which  7  were  conducted  by electronic  mail.  The  Board  elected  to  continue  utilising  the  services  of  a Committee Clerk from the States Greffe to prepare an independent record of proceedings.

3. A summary of the key matters considered by the Board in 2009

1. Public Sector Pay Review – 2009/10/11

1. The Board determined a pay policy for all States pay groups for the years 2009/10/11. Given the difficult financial circumstances facing the States and economic circumstances facing the island, the Board decided, with the support of  the  Council  of  Ministers  and  the  States,  not  to  increase  pay  in  2009. Appropriate meetings took place with pay group representatives both at Board level and through its officers.
2. However, an offer was subsequently made for a two year award consisting of a  2%  award  from  January  2010  and  a  further  2% from  January  2011. Negotiations with pay groups are continuing.
3. The  Board  considered  the  issue  of  nurse  recruitment  and  retention,  and difficulties being faced by Health and Social Services in this respect, and agreed a package of proposals for addressing this problem.
4. The Board commissioned a local, independent survey of pay and benefits paid to States and private sector employees in Jersey and the outcomes of this survey, which were presented to the States Members in R.99, helped inform the Board's pay policy for 2009/10/11.

2. Ongoing monitoring of staff suspensions and related policy

5. The Board received and considered two bi-annual reports from the Human Resources Department updating it on all staff suspensions/exclusions during

2009.  It  also  gave  detailed  consideration  to  propositions  P.46/2009  and P.98/2009 on this matter.

6. It introduced the new Suspension Review Panel and made amendments to its suspension  policy  following  States  decisions  in  relation  to  P.46/2009  and P.98/2009. These continue to be monitored.

3. Public Employees' Contributory Retirement Scheme (PECRS)

7. The Board gave consideration to a number of PECRS issues in 2009, viz –

1. proposals from the Committee of Management, and advice from the Employer's Actuary, on changes to funding methodology in order to make Scheme valuations less susceptible to volatility in investment markets;
2. the results of the actuarial valuation carried out at December 2007 and progress with negotiations with the Committee of Management and Joint  Negotiating  Group  to  address  the  identified  deficiency  of £63.2 million;
3. draft amendments to the Regulations governing ill-health retirement.
4. Admitted  Bodies  and  the  issue  of  notice  to  withdraw  from membership;
5. an  individual  application  concerning  the  provision  of  enhanced pensions for those who work after normal retirement age.

4. Policy for reporting serious concerns

8. The Board approved a revised policy.

5. Alleged bullying of States employees

9. The Board reviewed the situation on a number of occasions and received a formal complaint from the Health and Safety Inspectorate.
10. The Board commissioned the Chapman investigation and accepted all six recommendations  contained  therein.  These  are  at  various  stages  of implementation.

6. Vote of no confidence in the Board

11. The Board gave consideration to a proposed vote of no confidence lodged in connection  with  itself.  The  eventual  debate  on  7  October  2009,  saw  the proposition defeated by 35 votes to 11.

7. Miscellaneous matters

12. The  Board  considered  a  number  of  miscellaneous  issues,  including  the following –

• constitution of a Disciplinary Panel arising from the management of foreign currency risks associated with the new energy from waste plant;

• application of the Special Leave policy in connection with Overseas Aid trips abroad;

• draft 2008 Annual Report of the Jersey Appointments Commission;

• proposals for restructuring the Air Traffic Control Department;

• a  Royal  Court  judgement  against  the  Board  concerning  a contravention of Article 21 of the Health and Safety at Work (Jersey) Law 1989 in the Housing department;

• Terms of Reference for an independent review of the management of the  exclusion  from  work  of  a  Consultant  employed  at  the  Jersey General Hospital.

8. Key Manpower Statistics

Attached at the Appendix are key manpower statistics for 2009.

APPENDIX Key Manpower Statistics

Headcount (the number of people actually in post as at 31st December 2009):  6,792

J' category employees

(the number of employees, as at 31st December 2009, with a J' category housing licence):

629: 9.2% of headcount. Of these 629, 559 are employed in Health and Social Services and Education, Sport and Culture.

Non-locally qualified employees

(the number of employees, as at 31st December 2009, non-locally qualified under the Regulation of Undertakings Law):

97: less than 1.5% of headcount.

Sickness absence

Percentage of total possible days lost to sickness absence:  3.89% Average number of days lost to sickness per employee:  8.62 days Ratio of certified to uncertified absence:  32/68

Turnover

(the movement in and out of established posts):

Internal movements (between States Departments):  0.70% External movements (out from the States):  9.80% Total turnover during 2009:  10.49%