Fresh questions over £169k pay-off to States finance boss

Monday 15 June 2015

The Chief Minister faces questions in the States tomorrow about the huge payout to a former civil servant whose departure was announced as a resignation.

Accounts revealed by the States last week showed that when Laura Rowley left her job as the head of States finances last year, she was given a £169,375 “golden handshake”.

And now the Chief Minister, Senator Ian Gorst, faces questions in the States about the deal – one backbencher wants to know why a top civil servant leaving a role would get a compensation payment.

Deputy Montfort Tadier has tabled a question for tomorrow’s States sitting.

The question asks: “Will the Chief Minister explain under what circumstances a public employee who voluntarily resigns from their position, for example, to spend more time with their family, would then be entitled to financial compensation in excess of their annual salary?”

In a media statement at the time of her departure, Ms Rowley was described as having resigned her position to be closer to her family.

At the time that Ms Rowley left the States last July, it was hot on the heels of two other significant payouts to departing executives. Former Chief Executive Bill Ogley and former Health chief Mike Pollard received payments totalling around £800,000 when they left their posts.

Mr Ogley’s payout of £546,337 was linked to Senator Philip Ozouf, who was Ms Rowley’s political boss at the Treasury department.

Mr Ogley wrote of his departure that: “Over the last two years a sustained period of interference and harassment by the Deputy Chief Minister and Treasury Minister has made it impossible to do my job to the best of my ability.”

A report in 2012 revealed that 11 civil servants were paid a total of £1.5 million over the previous five years in 'golden handshake' deals. Those figures did not include an additional £170,000 to former Waterfront Enterprise Board Chief Executive Stephen Izatt in 2011.

Questioned about the payout to Ms Rowley last year, Chief Minister Ian Gorst said that “the financial arrangements for the former Treasurer of the States were agreed in accordance with the States Employment Board policy and guidance."