ALMOST £11,500 of taxpayers’ money was spent by the government to attend a black-tie awards dinner in London, a freedom-of-information request has revealed.
A group of ten employees from the human resources team flew to the capital for the 2023 Personnel Today Awards, spending £4,000 on a table at the event at London’s Grosvenor House Hotel, which included a three-course meal, half a bottle of wine per person and an after-party, as well as £1,200 on travel and £2,200 on accommodation.
The Jersey team also paid £800 to enter three awards categories, returning with the HR Team of the Year award from a shortlist of four entrants.
Responding to a freedom-of-information request, the government confirmed that former chief people and transformation officer Mark Grimley had made the decision to enter the awards, and signed off the associated expenditure. The entries cost £270 each and were submitted for three categories: HR Team of the Year, Diversity, Equality and Inclusion and Early in Careers.
States Employment Board vice-chair Deputy Elaine Millar defended the spending, saying the ceremony had achieved “helpful recognition” for staff.
But the decision to enter the awards and attend the event amid teacher strikes over wages has been labelled “absolutely shocking” by one union.
Marina Mauger, negotiating secretary for the NASUWT, said: “I am horrified, especially given that Mark Grimley has now left the organisation, that it was considered appropriate to spend that sort of money.
“I don’t know how [Deputy] Elaine Millar can defend it – it’s a total abuse of public money and I think that’s indefensible.”
And former teacher Deputy Rob Ward, of Reform Jersey, said: “The best way to reward staff is to give them decent pay rises and not to cut their pay, and it is foul to do that with the teachers, as we are seeing now.
“We should focus on respecting our public sector workers, and looking after our staff day-to-day, paying them properly, providing them with a good workplace, instead of using these awards ceremonies to do that. That’s how you retain staff and keep staff.”
Former Senator Ben Shenton condemned the expenditure as “totally inappropriate”.
“Most of these events are totally meaningless and set up by companies just to make money – they don’t have any value and certainly achieve no benefit to the Island,” he said. “Often the organisations behind an event will only give awards to those who pay to take tables at the ceremony or who agree to be a sponsor.
“You sometimes wonder if the government is living in some kind of a parallel universe where the problems faced by the rest of us don’t exist.”
Adam Budworth, president of the Chamber of Commerce, said: “We need to get a grip, as an island, of our expenditure, but we also need to allow, if a budget has been approved, and this is part of that budget approval process, that these awards can be part of longer-term strategic plan. We can’t look at it in isolation.”
Mr Budworth added that the decision about whether to enter or attend awards ceremonies often depended on the outcome or value of winning.
Television presenter Claudia Winkleman hosted the event at the hotel in November. It was attended by 900 people working in HR.
The freedom-of-information response confirmed that Mr Grimley, who left his role soon after the event after four-and-a-half years working in Jersey, was also the person who had given written authority to participate, and had signed off the expenditure.
Announcing the winners online shortly after the event, Personnel Today hailed the Jersey HR team’s people strategy and its policies for diversity, equality and inclusion, as well as the launch of a prioritised workforce plan.
Other activities highlighted included an internship programme, apprenticeships strategy and long-service awards.
Deputy Millar said: “The independent awards recognise the impressive work of the government’s HR team in creating a prioritised workforce plan, launching a diversity, equality and inclusion strategy and framework, establishing eight employee networks, developing a paid early careers internship programme, and creating an apprenticeships strategy.
“It is helpful recognition for our staff and important for Government of Jersey to engage with awards, where appropriate, and where we have best practice to share.”
The total cost of the awards initiative was £11,429.58, comprising:
– Entry fees: £810
– Time spent preparing entries: £1,203
– Flight and train tickets: £1,247
– Travel (time): £1,947
– Accommodation: £2,223
– Table for ten: £4,000
