States Employment Board – follow up: Employment of the former Chief Executive

Background

On 9 November 2020 the Chief Minister announced that he had agreed with the former Chief Executive that the former Chief Executive should stand down from his role.

Scope

This review evaluated the circumstances surrounding the severance of the employment of the former Chief Executive and constituted the first phase of the follow up of the then C&AG’s 2019 review of the Role and Operation of the States Employment Board (SEB).

The review evaluates the severance of employment of the former Chief Executive in so far as it relates to:

• internal control
• economy, efficiency and effectiveness; and
• corporate governance.

The review is limited to this single severance of employment but is designed to identify lessons that are applicable more generally.

Conclusions

The circumstances of and processes followed in respect of the severance of the employment of the former Chief Executive highlighted a number of weaknesses in policies and procedures in the States of Jersey. Recommendations from previous C&AG reports in respect of improved documentation standards for cases leading to compromise agreements and ensuring that reports to and minutes of the SEB include a clear rationale for exit terms proposed and agreed, had not been implemented.

Whilst the C&AG considered that the settlement reached was not unreasonable in the circumstances, she made a number of recommendations to improve policies and procedures going forwards.