Agency staff employed on zero hours contracts (FOI)

Request

A

How many members of staff who work within the States of Jersey are contracted to employment agencies on a zero hour contract basis?

B

Can you break this down by department?

C

These members of staff are paid at 2013 pay scale rates, which is 4% less than the equivalent grade, and not at the current pay scale? Why is this?

D

Staff members, who are employed through agencies on a zero hours contract, do not receive pay when taking any time off for holidays. Instead, 4% is added to their pay packet which is then taxed. This equates to approximately 8.5 days annual leave when applying the 20% tax rate. However, the legal requirement is for 10 days holiday per year. Are the States breaking the law?

Response

A

As at the end of April 2017, there were 177 staff contracted via an agency within the States of Jersey (using preferred suppliers of agency staff: 1st recruitment, ASL and Rowlands) 10 of whom are on zero hours contracts. The zero hours employees work in non-ministerial areas and the Environment and Community and Constitutional Affairs Departments.

B

C

The rates charged by agencies are the result of a commercial negotiation completed in 2013. This established the charges for workers hired through them.

D

Holiday pay is income that is taxed in exactly the same manner as any other income.