- More than 300 States employees have offered themselves for voluntary redundancy or voluntary severance
- All 7,000 public-sector workers were sent letters last month asking for volunteers for redundancy, early retirement or severance
- The cuts are part of a wider public-sector reform that is intended to steer the Islands finances away from a £125 million structural deficit by 2019
- Can you apply? See the criteria below
Use this online calculator created by the States to work out roughly how much you would receive.
MORE than 300 States employees have so far come forward to offer themselves for voluntary redundancy or voluntary severance, Treasury Minister Alan Maclean has said.
All 7,000 public-sector workers were sent letters last month from States chief executive John Richardson asking for volunteers for redundancy, early retirement or severance, as part of a wider public-sector reform that is intended to steer the Island’s finances away from a £125 million structural deficit by 2019.
Staff salaries account for about half of public sector spending.
Senator Maclean said that the initial response had been ‘encouraging’, although the fact that more than 300 workers had applied for redundancy or severance did not necessarily mean that their applications would be approved.
‘What’s important is that we are not looking at voluntary redundancy and severance in isolation – we have to redesign those roles as well, otherwise we will have to replace the people who have left,’ he said.
The minister said that it was not possible to say at this stage how many workers would be needed to achieve the £70 million savings required by the reforms, adding: ‘It will mean fewer people if they are at a higher level, and more people if they are at a lower level.’
Lump-sum pay-outs to individual workers could amount to two years’ salary, depending on how long they have been employed by the States.
Applications for voluntary redundancy will only be accepted if the job is seen as expendable.
Voluntary severance applies to jobs that still need to be filled, but where savings can be made through restructuring the role, for instance combining it with another job or moving to a different department.
Voluntary redundancy, severance and early retirement is open to all permanent States of Jersey employees across all pay groups who have a minimum of two years’ continuous service.
The schemes are not available to you if you:
- are within five years of your normal retirement age (normally 65 or 55), unless you’re applying for voluntary severance
- have already been served with your notice of termination of employment, eg a dismissal
- have already tendered your resignation
- have notified in writing of your intention to retire
- are undergoing final formal employment proceedings for managing attendance, capability or disciplinary action
- are on a zero hours agreement
- work for the States of Jersey through a contract for services on an interim, locum, self-employed, or agency basis
- are a volunteer or on an honorary contract where there is no implied contract of employment
Voluntary early retirement isn’t available on some pension schemes. If you make an application, you’ll be told if you’re eligible.
