Employment Forum: Appointment of Employee Member

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A decision made 28 April 2016:

Decision Reference: MD-S-2016-0028
Decision Summary Title :	DS Forum appointment employee member		Date of Decision Summary:	28 April 2016
Decision Summary Author:	Policy Principal		Decision Summary: Public or Exempt?	Public
Type of Report: Oral or Written?	Written		Person Giving Oral Report:	N/A
Written Report Title :	WR Forum appointment employee member		Date of Written Report:	28 April 2016
Written Report Author:	Policy Principal		Written Report : Public or Exempt?	Public
Subject: Employment Forum Membership – Appointment of Employee Member
Decision(s): The Minister decided to appoint Mr Douglas Gray as a member of the Employment Forum for a three year term, starting on 28 April 2016.
Reason(s) for Decision: The Employment Law requires that members of the Employment Forum must be appointed by the Minister for Social Security. Following a period of open recruitment and selection undertaken by representatives of the Forum during March and April 2016, Mr Douglas Gray was recommended for appointment as an Employee Member. The Minister is satisfied that Mr Gray possesses knowledge and experience that will enable him to make a valuable contribution to the work of the Forum in continuing with the minimum wage review and consultation on other employment law matters.
Resource Implications: There are no financial or manpower implications.
Action required: Policy Principal to advise Mr Gray that the Minister has approved his appointment. The Employment Law does not require that the States is notified of appointments to the Forum.
Signature:		Position: Minister
Date Signed:		Date of Decision (If different from Date Signed):

Employment Forum: Appointment of Employee Member

Employment Forum Membership

Background

The Employment (Jersey) Law 2003 (the ‘Employment Law’) provides that the Employment Forum (the ‘Forum’) consists of eight members and a Chairman who are appointed by the Minister for Social Security (the ‘Minister’). Members are appointed having regard to the desirability of securing an appropriate balance between members with experience as employers, members with experience as employees and members with other relevant experience.

In accordance with current best practice, terms of office are limited to a maximum of 10 years, other than in exceptional circumstances. It is vital to provide a balance between introducing new perspectives and skills, as well as providing some continuity amongst the membership with the retention of knowledge and experience.

Recruitment of new member

Mr David Robinson’s term on the Forum ended on 31 December 2015. Mr Robinson served for a total of ten years and the Minister is very grateful to him for his dedicated service as an employee representative member.

The vacancy was openly advertised in March 2016. An advertisement was placed in the Jersey Evening Post, on the ‘Jobs in Jersey’ website and was sent to those on the Forum’s consultation database (approximately 300 contacts, including employers and employees, trade unions and employers’ associations).

When recruiting, the Forum’s priorities are to ensure that the nine members cover the widest range of skills, expertise and industry types possible, that members have recent knowledge and relevant experience of employment relations issues, and that members have an interest in employment policy and legislation generally.

Three applications were received and one applicant was interviewed by two of the Forum members; Helen Ruelle (Chairman) and Jeralie Pallot (Employer Member). Best practice was followed in the recruitment process. The interview panel was satisfied that Mr Douglas Gray has appropriate skills and experience to bring to the Forum and recommended Mr Gray for appointment.

Mr Gray has been a trade union member for almost 50 years and he has worked for the States of Jersey since 1972. Mr Gray is currently employed as the elected full-time Union Convener for Manual Workers at the Department for Infrastructure. This role involves working with management on all aspects of employee relations, including negotiations, disciplinary issues and policy development. Mr Gray is also a member of the States Workforce Modernisation Board, is the trained branch Equality Officer and is a member of the Unite National and South West Disability Committees. Mr Gray has worked in his current role for five years and, prior to that, he was the Union Representative for the Parks and Gardens Department for nine years.

Recommendation

Appoint Mr Douglas Gray as an Employee Member of the Employment Forum for a three year term of office starting on 28 April 2016.

The current members and their terms of office are as follows:

	Term of office end date
Independent
Helen Ruelle	30 November 2019
Malcolm Ferey	17 October 2017
Gary Jones	30 April 2017

Employer
Jeralie Pallot	31 May 2017
Thomas Quinlan	30 November 2019
Julie Fairclough	17 October 2017

Employee
Barbara Ward	30 November 2019
Gary Du Heaume	31 July 2017
Vacancy