There is also a concerning level of staff turnover within government and morale is ‘worryingly low’ in some departments, according to the Corporate Services Scrutiny Panel, whose People and Culture Review focused on bullying and harassment, exit interviews, discipline and culture.
The review was prompted by a ‘significant number of concerns’ raised regarding culture within the government, panel chairperson Senator Kristina Moore said, and the impact this was having on staff morale and retention rates. The appointment of a new chief executive should be delayed until after a States Employment Board report ‘recognising lessons learned’ has been completed, the panel said, and the 2022 elections have taken place, ‘to ensure transparency on ministerial aims and objectives’.
Previous chief executive Charlie Parker stood down in March this year, following controversy regarding his paid non-executive director’s role with UK-based real estate firm New River. Mr Parker was replaced as the Island’s top civil servant by interim chief executive Paul Martin after receiving a £500,000 severance package, described previously as a ‘huge payout’ by the Public Accounts Committee.
Separately, Deputy Kirsten Morel has lodged a proposition calling for the recruitment process to be halted until after the June general election, to allow for the recommendations of a report by Comptroller and Auditor General Lynn Pamment on the appointment process to be implemented.
This week’s report highlighted a ‘concentration of power’ in the chief executive position, which ‘must be independently reviewed’.
Other findings from the review, which admitted significant steps had been taken to improve policies and procedures, include the SEB lacking transparency, particularly low morale in the Health Department, and work morale being negatively affected in some departments by the implementation of the One Gov initiatives.
The panel has made 24 recommendations to the SEB. These include making discrimination training mandatory immediately ‘to build and create a culture where wrong behaviour is quickly called out by colleagues’, and the senior leadership team adopting a code of conduct before the end of the year, as well as urging the SEB to publish staff turnover numbers.
