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The government is set to miss its deadline to downgrade the salaries of 126 health workers, who were erroneously given pay rises of up to £11,500 as part of a "disastrous" pay review, it has emerged.
The States Employment Board (SEB) have commissioned a further review into the decision-making that resulted in the staff receiving a total of £746,000 in salary increases, meaning that the mistake won’t be reversed from the beginning of next month as previously planned.
Health workers including physiotherapists, occupational health staff and social workers had their roles upgraded as part of a pay review done in November 2017. However, it was later found that those pay increases were “not appropriate” and that “job descriptions had been ‘inflated’".
Pictured: Some of the health workers could see as much as £11,500 cancelled from their salaries.
The decision was subsequently taken to reverse the uplifts after a review carried out by consultant Karen Harvey, which revealed a catalogue of key decisions which led to the expensive mistake. It was planned that the salaries would return to their original levels next week on 1 April, but an ongoing dispute resolution process has delayed this change.
The decision to cancel the salary rises, which increased some health workers’ pay packets by as much as £11,500, resulted in 90 of the aggrieved staff members mounting a formal collective complaint with the SEB, which is now underway.
A spokesperson for the government has now confirmed that the SEB have commissioned a re-examination of the decision-making which led to the failed pay review which will be conducted by senior civil servants who were not associated with the issue originally.
Pictured: 90 of the aggrieved health workers have lodged a formal grievance with the States Employment Board (SEB).
They said: “Through the dispute resolution procedure, those affected have a right to present their views to a panel, again formed of senior managers not associated with the issue in question.
“While this procedure is underway, no down gradings or pay cuts will be made.”
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