Employment dispute body faces financial strain

Monday 23 May 2022

The body responsible for helping islanders settle employment disputes has warned that continually running a financial deficit is not sustainable in its annual report.

In the recently published annual report for 2021, Jersey Advisory and Conciliation Service (JACS) Chair Donna Abel explained that the organisation had dealt with more than 20,000 queries in 2021.

She also noted that JACS research had identified “that for every £1 of investment in JACS leads to £12 return to the Jersey economy in terms of productivity.”

But the report suggested that this work was being carried out in increasingly stretched circumstances due to greater volumes of legislation, but no extra resources for the team. 

Pictured: Click to read the 2021 Annual Report in full.

Explaining that the organisation had not had its Government grant topped up since 2015, the report noted that JACS’ “historic funding model and the pandemic’s impact on our ability to generate income” had left the organisation running an £11,000 deficit last year.

JACS described the lack of funding, compared to the increasing legislation it needs to deal with, as its “main risk."

It noted that the problem last year was dealt with "...predominantly by the reduction of personnel, [and] therefore is not something that can be sustained year on year.”