Senior members of staff have all followed due process

2026.09.08

5.14   Deputy T.A. Coles of St. Helier South of the Chair of the States Employment Board

regarding senior members of staff leaving employment where due process had not been followed (OQ.68/2026).

Will the chair advise whether the States Employment Board is aware of any instances since the elections of June 2026 of senior members of staff leaving employment where due process has not been followed or where political pressure has been applied?

Senator L.J. Farnham (Chair of the States Employment Board):

Deputy Coles has kindly agreed to allow the vice-chair to answer the question. Thank you. Deputy M.R. Ferey of St. Saviour (Vice-Chair of the States Employment Board - rapporteur):

I thank the Deputy for that question. 2 senior public servants have left the Government of Jersey since the election. Their departures were part of organisational change arrangements that were supported by business cases approved by the States Employment Board. Due process was followed throughout in accordance with the Government's policies and procedures. The relevant policies and procedures include: organisational change, voluntary redundancy, compulsory redundancy. All employment policies, procedures and codes of practice are approved by the States Employment Board.

1. Deputy T.A. Coles :

Can the vice-chair of the Employment Board confirm whether any special payments have been made to any of these senior members of staff that are leaving and whether these will appear in the States annual accounts?

Deputy M.R. Ferey :

I will not comment on individual employment matters but if they are they will be duly reported in the proper manner.

Deputy T.A. Coles :

I did not ask for an individual, I just said in broad terms.

The Bailiff :

What do you say you need to know that you are not being answered? Deputy T.A. Coles :

Whether any special payments had been made. This was a broad term rather than asking for an individual's case.

Deputy M.R. Ferey :

We are talking about 2 particular individuals and I will not comment on those 2 particular individuals. More broadly, people leave on different terms and it depends whether it is a compulsory redundancy or voluntary redundancy, but those sums are reported in accounts.

2. Deputy L.M.C. Doublet of St. Saviour :

The vice-chair mentioned business cases. At what point were those made available to S.E.B. (States Employment Board)?

Deputy M.R. Ferey :

I thank the Deputy for that question. As part of any of the processes that we have gone through for voluntary or compulsory redundancy, those are reported to the States Employment Board at the earliest opportunity. We gather that information and we look at that evidence before making the decision during the relevant States Employment Board meeting which are conducted usually on a monthly basis.

3. Deputy L.M.C. Doublet :

What was the time that elapsed between viewing those reports and the individuals leaving employment? Deputy M.R. Ferey :

Off the top of my head I cannot remember. Do not forget, this process was started in the previous Government so it would have been a number of months ago.

4. Deputy H.L. Jeune of St. John , St. Lawrence and Trinity :

Given the sudden departure of the senior level directors, can the vice-chair outline what support has been provided to affected staff, what assessment has been made of staff morale following the exit and whether he is satisfied that the departures were handled appropriately?

Deputy M.R. Ferey :

The Employee Assistance Programme is always open to any employee, whether that is the individual themselves or their surrounding team, to guide them through any period of transition and change. In any of these situations those individuals are always reached out to to make sure that they are properly and appropriately supported.

Deputy H.L. Jeune :

Also, could he just answer the end of the question which was, does he believe that the departures were handled appropriately before I ask my supplementary?

The Bailiff :

I think he did answer that but what do you say? Deputy M.R. Ferey :

Yes, I would say they were handled appropriately and in accordance with the States Employment Board policies and procedures.

5. Deputy H.L. Jeune :

Could he confirm if an exit interview was done, or an independent review of how the departures were handled took place?

Deputy M.R. Ferey :

I have not seen an exit interview but any employee who leaves service is offered an exit interview and that can be even done remotely if the individual does not want to do it face to face. They can highlight any good and bad that they wish to in that process. I think it is a really important part of the employment process that we hear from people when they leave and hear of their good and bad experiences because that is how we make more positive changes that can positively affect the lives of our other employees.

6. Deputy L.V. Feltham of St. Helier Central :

In his answers, the vice-chair has talked about organisational change. A period of consultancy usually comes before such organisational changes. Can the vice-chair confirm that such a period of consultancy did take place and it took place in accordance with the organisational change policy?

Deputy M.R. Ferey :

Yes, as I stated earlier, this process started in the previous Government and it has been done with due regard to all the correct ways of doing these things, as difficult and unpleasant as they can be.

7. Deputy L.V. Feltham :

Can the vice-chair confirm that he has read and understands all of the policies that he has referred to within his answers today?

Deputy M.R. Ferey :

Each individual policy I cannot say that I have absolutely gone through line by line but I am aware that everything is done in accordance with those policies. I am assured by our Chief People Officer that that is the case and I do take her word for that.

8. Deputy M. Tadier of St. Brelade :

The Minister confirmed in his initial answer that 2 senior members of staff have left States Employment. Would he confirm whether or not it is coincidental that the departments they worked for both have new Ministers come into the Assembly who have been elected and stood on a platform of deregulation and that we now see these 2 resignations, on the face of it? Could he confirm they are political sackings that we are seeing here by the Ministers of those departments?

Deputy M.R. Ferey :

No, these are processes that were started long before the election. We were having discussions on the shape of government long before the relevant Ministers got into post.

9. Deputy M. Tadier :

So when he says that the discussions were taking place, were they specifically being taking place around these 2 individuals or is he talking in generic terms?

Deputy M.R. Ferey :

I am talking in generic terms.

10. Deputy T.A. Coles :

Can the vice-chair of the Employment Board confirm that the Government has not lost anybody or is not - I am trying to think about how to phrase this properly - around its statutory obligations and duties the Government has not left itself open and exposed to not complying with its statutory duties?

Deputy M.R. Ferey :

Again, as far as I am concerned from a governance point of view, everything was done in accordance with the proper policies and procedures, proper bargaining and proper process throughout and with final follow-up exit interviews should those individuals so desire to undertake that interview.