Deputy says P&R is "embarrassed" by costs of removing staff

Monday 17 January 2022

A Deputy who wants to know how much has been spent on settlements to terminate civil servants’ contracts says the Policy & Resources Committee is avoiding his questions because it would be embarrassed by the answers.

The Committee has twice declined to provide the information requested in written questions submitted by Deputy Gavin St. Pier.

Deputy St. Pier says the Committee’s refusal to disclose how much has been spent on settlements or compromise agreements with staff “tells you all you need to know about its true commitment to openness and transparency”.

“It’s obvious that the Committee is refusing to answer because to do so would be embarrassing,” said Deputy St. Pier.

He first put the question in October when he asked: “What is the quantum for all such settlements agreed by the Policy & Resources Committee?”

At that time, in reply, the Committee said: “The question does not stipulate any particular timeframe. It is not, therefore, possible to establish the amount.”

Pictured: The Policy & Resources Committee is refusing to say how much it has spent terminating staff contracts since it was elected in October 2020.

Deputy St. Pier then reframed his question and asked: “What is the quantum for all compromise agreements or settlements agreed by the Committee in respect of the termination of employment between 16 October 2020 and 1 August 2021?”

In reply to Deputy St. Pier’s latest attempt to obtain the figure, the Policy & Resources Committee said: “Having taken legal advice and in accordance with data protection principles and employment law practice, any employee receiving a termination payment may reasonably expect the existence of such an agreement, and details of it, to remain confidential.

“Hence the Committee will always take care when providing information relating to such agreements, especially where there might be a risk of identifying individuals.

“Consequently, the Committee is unable to provide the information requested.”

Deputy St. Pier said the Committee had given him “an absurd answer”.

“It quite clearly could have been given first time around instead of pretending the first question was not specific enough,” he said.

Pictured: Deputy Gavin St. Pier is dissatisfied with replies provided by the Policy & Resources Committee to two sets of questions he asked - one in October and one in recent days - about financial settlements paid to staff who have left the States. 

Deputy St. Pier thinks taxpayers have a right to know how much public money the States have spent on deals to terminate employment contracts – not for each individual member of staff concerned but over a period of months or years.

“Compromise agreements are of course a legitimate tool in managing staff out of any organisation,” said Deputy St. Pier.

“But they can also cover up all sorts of poor employment practices, including firing staff without following proper procedure or due process.

“There are many in government who say that it should be run more like a business. Well, in public companies, shareholders would know exactly how much it had cost to get rid of its most senior people.

“In the case of the States, every compromise agreement entered into is money taken from the community in taxes to pay an employee off - and taxpayers have a right to know how much is being paid out, at least in total.”