Request
A
How many members of staff who work within the States of Jersey are contracted to employment agencies on a zero hour contract basis?
B
Can you break this down by department?
C
These members of staff are paid at 2013 pay scale rates, which is 4% less than the equivalent grade, and not at the current pay scale? Why is this?
D
Staff members, who are employed through agencies on a zero hours contract, do not receive pay when taking any time off for holidays. Instead, 4% is added to their pay packet which is then taxed. This equates to approximately 8.5 days annual leave when applying the 20% tax rate. However, the legal requirement is for 10 days holiday per year. Are the States breaking the law?
Response
A
As at the end of April 2017, there were 177 staff contracted via an agency within the States of Jersey (using preferred suppliers of agency staff: 1st recruitment, ASL and Rowlands) 10 of whom are on zero hours contracts. The zero hours employees work in non-ministerial areas and the Environment and Community and Constitutional Affairs Departments.
B
Chief Minister's Department | 32 |
Community and Constitutional Affairs | 10 |
Department for Infrastructure | 25 |
Department of the Environment | <10 |
Economic Development | <10 |
Education | <10 |
Health and Social Services | 30 |
Non ministerial States funded | 18 |
Social Security | 29 |
Treasury and Resources | 18 |
C
The rates charged by agencies are the result of a commercial negotiation completed in 2013. This established the charges for workers hired through them.
D
Holiday pay is income that is taxed in exactly the same manner as any other income.