The total number of staff, by Department, who were suspended as a result of disciplinary infractions during the year 2008

1240/5(4213) WRITTEN QUESTION TO THE CHIEF MINISTER BY THE CONNETABLE OF ST. LAWRENCE

ANSWER TO BE TABLED ON TUESDAY 3rd FEBRUARY 2009

Question

Would the Chief Minister advise the Assembly of the total number of staff, by Department, who were suspended as a result of disciplinary infractions during the year 2008 and, in each case, identify the employee group concerned, the period of suspension, the means of disposal of the case and, in those cases where the time between the suspension date and the disciplinary hearing was greater than the eight weeks recommended by the States Employment Board, the reason for the extension?

Would the Chief Minister advise the Assembly of the total number of staff who were suspended during the period 2007 to 2008, and who remain suspended, identifying in each case the employee group concerned, the period of suspension and the reason why the employee remains suspended?

Answer

EMPLOYEE SUSPENSIONS

Table A – This table depicts the number of employees (defined by Department) who were suspended between January and December 2008

ESC Highlands College 30/04/07 30/08/08 Resigned

Teacher 21/12/07 21/03/08 Dismissed Manual Worker 08/01/08 17/01/08 Reinstated Teacher 02/06/08 10/06/08 Reinstated Youth Worker 24/10/08 19/12/08 Reinstated Manual Worker 11/09/08 20/10/08 Disciplined

TTS Civil Servant 28/02/08 10/03/08 Reinstated

Manual Worker 25/06/08 15/08/08 Disciplined

T&R Civil Servant 01/10/08 15/10/08 Dismissed EDD Civil Servant 20/11/07 04/02/08 Disciplined

Airport Fire 03/07/08 05/12/08 Action Pending

Notes to Table A:

There were a total of 36 employees who were either suspended in 2008 or whose suspension carried over into 2008. The 36 employees in question belonged to the following pay groups:

9 x Nurses and Midwives

9 x Civil Servants

4 x Police Officers

4 x Manual Workers

3 x Prison Officers

2 x Teachers

1 x Youth Workers

1 x Airport Fire Service

1 x Highlands College Managers 1 x Chief Officer

1 x Doctors and Dentists

As previously reported to the Connetable, the States Employment Board (SEB) in May 2006 agreed a number of recommendations relating to the suspensions of employees, foremost of the recommendations were:-

• All suspensions be notified to the Employee Relations Section of the Chief Minister's Department at the time of the suspension thus enabling the level and duration of the suspension to be monitored; and,

• Chief Officers to ensure that all suspensions were formally reviewed one month from the suspension date and no less frequently than a month thereafter.

• The maximum time between suspension date and the disciplinary hearing be 8 weeks (with an expectation that it will be done before that time if possible).

The SEB continues to review all employee suspensions by way of a twice yearly report which also identifies those suspensions exceeding the 8 week recommended duration and the reasons for the delay.

Of the 36 employees suspended in 2008 (or whose suspensions continued into 2008 from 2007, and in one case, 2006), 17 met the SEB target of being resolved within 8 weeks.  Of those that failed to meet the target, in the main, these are cases where complex external investigations, usually involving the police, are necessary and almost always result in a lengthy delay before applying the internal disciplinary process. However, I am satisfied that where there are no such external influences impacting on a case, it is almost always the case that the 8 week deadline is met.

EMPLOYEE SUSPENSIONS (CONT)

Table B – This Table depicts the number of employees by Department who were suspended during 2006 and 2007 and who remained suspended.

DEPARTMENT EMPLOYEES WHO REMAINED

SUSPENDED

HSS One

Notes to Table B:

There is only one employee who was suspended by his Department in 2006 and who remains suspended and there are no employees suspended during 2007 who remain suspended.  As identified in Tables A and B, the employee in question is a member of the Doctors and Dentists pay group employed in the Health and Social Services Department.  The  employee  remains  excluded  due  to  a  very  complex  and  exceedingly  lengthy  police investigation and subsequent court case.