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19-21 Broad Street | St Helier Jersey | JE2 3RR
By email
18th August 2022
Dear Chair,
Corporate Services Scrutiny Panel People and Culture Follow-up Review
Thank you for your letter dated 2 August 2023. As requested, please see below responses to the Panel’s queries with specific reference to my department, the Department of Economy.
- The internal processes and procedures in your department which can be used by employees to address complaints and grievances including for inappropriate behaviour, bullying and harassment. We are aware that there are set States of Jersey policies relating to these matters, however we would like to know the specific process that would be followed by employees within your department.
Employees can raise concerns with their Line Mangers or their Line Managers Line Manager. A concern may also be raised via the helpline or from information received directly into People and Corporate Services. We expect Line Mangers to act swiftly to resolve concerns, to benefit all those involved. We place a strong emphasis to resolve concerns informally to give the best opportunity for a successful outcome to all parties. If the matter cannot be resolved an investigation may be required and the Government of Jersey policies and procedures relating to the specific matter would be followed.
- Whether any internal employee processes and procedures followed in your department differ from those within other departments and, if so, how and why. For example, we note that there is a Freedom to Speak Up Guardian in the Health and Community Services Department to ensure that the voices and concerns of staff are heard and acted upon.
The processes followed by the Department for the Economy are in line with the overall Government approach, no separate or unique processes exist.
- The relevant officer(s) in your department available to employees as a first point of contact to raise concerns or grievances.
The Line Manger or the Line Managers Manager or a member of People and Corporate Services. If the employee does not wish to raise their concerns with their Line Manager, they can contact HR Case Management or contact the dedicated speak-up line.
- What management information is available to your senior leadership team to enable you to gauge or measure the numbers of informal or formal concerns, grievances or disciplinary actions and how your management information is gathered and recorded.
Line Managers have responsibility to act swiftly to resolve any informal concerns.
Any formal concerns of Disciplinary and Grievance are recorded by the Case Management Team. The HR Business Partners provides management information to their Senior Leadership Teams and report on the outcomes and any learning from the specific cases as appropriate. In the twelve-month period August 22 to July 23 there were no formal cases within the Department for the Economy.
All Members of the Leadership Team also have access to an Operational Dashboard where information regarding the reasons a staff member leaves is held.
- The challenges, if any, within your department in improving and maintaining a satisfactory workplace culture.
As with any workplace, there are challenges in developing and maintaining a satisfactory workplace culture. The significant re-organisation of the civil service over both periods of the last two Governments have resulted in challenges along with the formation of the Department for the Economy taking time to embed change in the day-to-day operations of colleagues and how they work together. The Departments’ People and Culture working group has been working on challenges identified by peers ensuring a unified purpose for the department, career development for colleagues both in the department and across the civil service, opportunities for training and development and how to enhance feedback to management. This is progressed through initiatives monitored through departmental people and culture work which is discussed at quarterly whole department meetings.
- Whether your department has any trade union shop stewards or representatives and, if so, the type of relationship held with those people to assist with resolving employee matters that are brought to the department’s attention.
The Department for the Economy is aware of and uses the regular Trade Union meetings facilitated by People & Corporate Services. Advice on what items are to be raised with this forum is provided by the P&CS Business Partner.
- Specific actions taken within your department to improve staff wellbeing and morale.
The Department of Economy People & Cultural team was set up after the last review. Quarterly departmental meetings are held to bring the department together and the People & Cultural team have a standing item on the agenda to update the department of their progress within the action plan. The last quarterly meeting held in June had a focus on Wellbeing. The Department of Economy colleagues can recognise the great work taking place within the department by nominating colleagues for the quarterly outstanding contribution award.
Wellbeing is at the forefront of team meetings on a weekly basis, to ensure the senior leadership team is made aware of any highlighted concerns.
- The creation or improvements of strategy, policy, and procedures in your department for the benefit of employee welfare and workplace culture implemented since the start of the new States Assembly term.
A key focus of the P&CS function has been on the review and update of key policies in line with the six published States of Jersey Codes of Practise.
The policy suite has been rewritten from the start to reflect modern, clear, and good management practice.
The first toolkit of the policy suite is completed and published and is focussed on:
• Dignity and Respect at Work
• Resolving Grievances
• Whistleblowing
• Disciplinary
These have been rolled out, with the support of the DLT, to the workforce.
The overall GoJ People Strategy has led the work of the CLS Strategic Workforce plan and the People strategy. The findings from the recent Be Heard survey will be used to refine current plans as necessary.
- Whether any routine internal department-specific surveys or polls are undertaken regarding people and workplace culture and the frequency and impact thereof.
No specific surveys have been undertaken within 2022/ 2023.
The recent staff briefings and feedback sessions for the 2023 Be Heard Survey have identified future Pulse Surveys as a possible mechanism to track progress on engagement scores.
- Whether when an employee leaves the department, they are automatically offered an exit interview and, if not, why.
The People Hub offer all employees when leaving an exit interview. These are online exit interviews. The employee is asked if we can contact them to discuss in more detail any of the answers they have given. This process is currently under review by the People and Corporate Services Policy Team.
- Whether there are any emerging themes that can be taken from previous exit interviews?
Exit interviews are reviewed to establish any emerging themes, by the People and Corporate Services Policy Team. Any emerging themes or concerns are escalated to the departments HR Business Partner and /or the relevant Chief Officer.
The Exit interview data provides limited information based on volumes. The reasons for leaving as identified via the termination forms show the main reason for leaving to be better pay and /or benefits. The remaining reasons for leaving are spread equally across career development, end of contract, job dissatisfaction, mutual agreement and retirement.
- Whether the Minister or Chief Officer works with the HR Business Partner to resolve concerns, the process that is followed and whether you have identified any challenges or concerns with the process that you have identified.
The Chief Officer works with the P&CS Business Partner and the specialised P&CS functions for support, advice and guidance on people matters.
The relationship is two way with P&CS Business Partner also raising matters that may need actioning direct to the Chief Officer and /or other members of the senior leadership team.
The BP attends the DLT meeting as needed.
- Any historic concerns or issues in relation to any of the above within your department.
Part of the formation of the new department and the merger of existing teams in relation to the Target Operating Model at the end of 2020, aligned with the fact that the department is one of the few that have more than one Minister responsible can create challenges that are not felt in other parts of the department.
- Any other issues that the Panel should consider as part of its review in line with the Terms of Reference for the review, which can be found on the review page.
No, there are no other issues for the Panel to consider.
I trust that the above responses are of use to the Panel as part of its review. Yours sincerely,
Deputy Kirsten Morel
Deputy Chief Minister
Minister for Economic Development, Tourism, Sport and Culture E k.morel2@gov.je