A COMPLAINT against the States Employment Board and senior ministers from a former government worker who alleged that they were bullied and asked to resign “without warning” has been rejected, following a conduct investigation beset by lengthy legal delays.
The grievance was formally lodged with Commissioner for Standards Dr Melissa McCullough in March 2024 and involved all members of the then-SEB: Deputy Kristina Moore, Chair (then chief minister), Constable Andy Jehan, Vice-Chair (Minister), Deputy Elaine Millar (Minister), Deputy Sir Philip Bailhache (non-government member), and Deputy Barbara Ward (non-government member).
The complaint also extended to the then-Health Minister Deputy Karen Wilson and then-Treasury Minister Deputy Ian Gorst – neither of whom were members of the SEB at the time.
A report published yesterday stated that the individual had claimed they were subjected to “what they considered bullying by their employer” and further alleged that, “without warning”, they had been “asked to resign from their extant post”.
The investigation was delayed by what were described as “complex legal considerations”.
After “carefully considering” all the facts and evidence, the Commissioner for Standards decided that they did not agree the complainant had been bullied.
She also found that none of the ministers or SEB members subject to the investigation had been in breach of the Codes of Conduct governing politicians’ behaviour.
The Privileges and Procedures Committee – the group of politicians who decide on the next steps after conduct investigations – said in a report published on Tuesday morning that no further action was required.
They also agreed with the Commissioner for Standards that there had been no breach of the code of conduct in relation to a separate, unrelated complaint against Deputy David Warr.
The former Housing Minister, who is currently trying to get the Lido to be community-owned, was accused in August of breaking two code of conduct rules: Part 3 of the Code of Conduct by publishing a statement which he was reportedly told several times was untrue, and Part 5 of the Code by making repeated false statements on LinkedIn about a colleague’s voting record.
After Deputy Warr was told his posts could be misconstrued, he edited them, the Commissioner was told.
The Commissioner decided that the St Helier representative’s posts were “not untruthful” and that “he believed his statement to have been true when it was made”.
