17 April 2020
The States Employment Board (SEB) has welcomed the publication of the Annual Report of the Jersey Appointments Commission (JAC) for 2019. The JAC is an independent body that oversees the recruitment of senior Government employees and appointees to arms-length organisations.
The report commends the work the government has made in respect of gender and equality, in particular the 'I Will' (Inspiring Women into Leadership and Learning) programme in which the Government actively encourages and supports initiatives for gender balance and equality, not just in senior positions but across the whole organisation.
The report welcomes the involvement of local business and community leaders as panel members in interviews for senior staff and says they are pleased with the improvement in the oversight of interim appointments and the clarification of those roles.
The Vice Chair of the States Employment Board, Connétable Richard Buchanan, said: “As a public service, we are committed to equal opportunities and fair reward for all our employees, regardless of gender, race, ethnicity or any other personal characteristic.
“The Commission’s report does highlight a small number of historic appointments of which the SEB were not aware, these are now subject to strict monitoring. These were exceptions and we are continuing to strengthen compliance to ensure all our appointments are appropriately managed.
“I am pleased that the Commission has recognised the progress we have made in developing a more balanced senior leadership team through our support for diversity, the Gender Pay Gap, and gender balance on our boards.
“We always aim to make senior positions on the Island open to all, and to improve access to all roles for Islanders. We are thankful for the work of the Commission, together we will continue to strengthen our processes to ensure that we appoint people on merit to both permanent and interim roles.
“Our work with the Commission is continuing during the Coronavirus pandemic.”
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