States Employment Annual Report 2009: Presentation to the States Assembly

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A decision made on 9 June 2010 to present the States Employment Annual Report 2009 to the States Assembly

Decision Reference: MD-C-2010-0051
Decision Summary Title :	States Employment Board Annual Report, 2009		Date of Decision Summary:	28 May 2010
Decision Summary Author:	Head of Employment Relations		Decision Summary: Public or Exempt? (State clauses from Code of Practice booklet)	Public
Type of Report: Oral or Written?	Written		Person Giving Oral Report:	N/A
Written Report Title :	States Employment Board Annual Report, 2009		Date of Written Report:	28 May 2010
Written Report Author:	Head of Employment Relations		Written Report : Public or Exempt? (State clauses from Code of Practice booklet)	Public
Subject: States Employment Board (SEB) Annual Report 2009.
Decision(s): The Chief Minister agreed to present the States Employment Board Annual Report for 2009 to the States Assembly.
Reason(s) for Decision: There is a requirement under the Employment of States of Jersey Employees (Jersey) Law, 2005 for the States Employment Board to present an Annual Report to the States Assembly. The presentation of the report was agreed by the SEB at their meeting on 25th May 2010.
Resource Implications: There are no resource implications.
Action required: Head of Employment Relations to ask the Greffier of the States to present the Report to the States at an early opportunity
Signature:		Position: Senator T.A. Le Sueur, Chief Minister
Date Signed:		Date of Decision (If different from Date Signed):

States Employment Annual Report 2009: Presentation to the States Assembly

States Employment Board

Annual Report

2009

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

1.1 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)

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

1.2 In June 2009 Senator Terry Le Main (Minister for Housing) replaced Senator J. L. Perchard.

1.3 Deputy J. A. N. Le Fondre, 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.

A Public Sector Pay Review – 2009/10/11

3.1. 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.

3.2 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.

3.3 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.

3.4 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.

B Ongoing monitoring of staff suspensions and related policy

3.5 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 P46/2009 and P98/2009 on this matter.

3.6 It introduced the new Suspension Review Panel and made amendments to its suspension policy following States decisions in relation to P46/2009 and P98/2009. These continue to be monitored.

C Public Employees Contributory Retirement Scheme (PECRS)

3.7 The Board gave consideration to a number of PECRS issues in 2009, viz:-

(i) 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.

(ii) 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 £63.2M.

(iii) draft amendments to the Regulations governing ill-health retirement.

(iv) Admitted Bodies and the issue of notice to withdraw from membership.

(v) an individual application concerning the provision of enhanced pensions for those who work after normal retirement age.

D Policy for reporting serious concerns

3.8 The Board approved a revised policy.

E Alleged bullying of States employees

3.9 The Board reviewed the situation on a number of occasions and received a formal complaint from the Health and Safety Inspectorate.

3.10 The Board commissioned the Chapman investigation and accepted all six recommendations contained therein. These are at various stages of implementation.

F Vote of no confidence in the Board

3.11 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.

G Miscellaneous matters

3.12 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.

H. Key manpower statistics

Attached at the Appendix are key manpower statistics for 2009.

Key Manpower Statistics

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

Department	December 2009 Actual exc multiples in departments
Chief Minister’s Department	198
Non-Executive Departments	221
Treasury and Resources	242
Economic Development	75
Planning and Environment	119
Transport and Technical Services	554
Health and Social Services	2,597
Education, Sport and Culture	1,939
Home Affairs	694
Social Security	144
Housing	36
Total	6,821
Less multiple appointments across depts.	-29
Total reported actual December 2008	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 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%