Unfair! Appoint long-serving public servants to top posts full-time
Government Minister Kye Rymer and Opposition legislator Julian Fraser have bemoaned the plight of many civil servants who have been acting in several top roles for many years without being officially appointed.
Speaking in the House of Assembly on Tuesday, both legislators said this is unfair to the civil servants, some of whom have held acting roles for more than a decade.
“I have a member in my ministry who has been acting for 14 years. Those are things that aren’t right. I don’t know how they do it. Getting up, getting dressed and not being sure if today they might say, ‘you are reverted to your position’. After carrying out the duties, the performance appraisals give you high marks. But when it comes to appointment, there seems to be a hindrance,” Rymer explained.
Minister Rymer said one way to shorten the ‘acting’ tenures is to remove persons in acting roles who don’t meet performance standards.
“If they’re not doing their jobs within the first couple years then I think at that stage they should try someone else so the acting process can be shortened,” Rymer said. He added that he will consult the Deputy Governor’s Office to discuss these longstanding ‘acting’ roles within the government.
Accountant General acting for 6 years
Rymer shared those sentiments after Fraser told the story a Laurel Smith who currently acts as the Accountant General at the Treasury Department.
Fraser said this civil servant is qualified, skilled, and has been performing diligently but still hasn’t been officially appointed as the Accountant General.
“Acting in that position for six years? You have this young lady in the Treasury just knocking about … She deserves better! Here’s my position on this: It has everything to do with who you are in this place and I am determined to see this stop,” Fraser argued.
“When you’re going to tell me that she isn’t ready after six years running the treasury. What are you telling me? Who’s ready? Who do you have earmarked for this position? I’ve seen people in this territory get positions even before they were confirmed to the post. We all need to commit ourselves to see to the eradication of such behaviours in this territory,” Fraser further said.
Copyright 2024 BVI News, Media Expressions Limited. All Rights Reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or distributed.
Yes it would be good except everytime a new government comes into power they change peoplein these positions, but seem to leave the once just acting….
And the minister for the 5th jumped from Conservation and Fisheries to head of DMV then to political member. ALL with the help of the ***. Who approved that and with what degrees!!To make frigg up road decision!!
And from this customer’s perspective, he was one of the best to head the DMV.
We talk so bad about the UK and the Governor but our biggest enemy is our own people. This has been and will always be the case while we pretend to be one in unity and deflect/blame expats/whites/UK/Governor/Island People/Covid/Aliens.
If a poll is done, the record would be set straight why Human Resources and the DG’s Office in the Government running a poppy show on Civil Servants. Start at Water & Sewerage and Public Works and you will find tons of employees who are still temporary after punching a clock for over ten years in the Service. Eligibility in 15 years for a pension, but they were never considered to be deemed permanent and pensionable. The same fate for those acting. Some can act up to 15 years and above without not one single person from Government’s HR or their immediate supervisor doing a darn thing about it. You would think that maybe the persons are considered not eligible to be confirmed in the post, but if you are acting for over 10 years, then who is non-eligible, you or your supervisor and HR? The Civil Service has not been properly run since Mrs. C….e and Mrs. W….n from the east and Mrs. R….r ran HR. They ran it considering others, for the hundreds of actors in the Service will be ready for Hollywood soon, but it shows a lack of consciousness at the top of how human resources work. Who messed up the system seems to be moving up though. When it comes to promotions and hiring and firing, the Civil Service is in a state of flux.
Hon. Fraser, thank you. You hit the nail on the head.
You are so correct those HR who has now been retired they used to work with you not these nowadays. You see the one HR now the D.G. He ain’t stop till he get there everyone else he looks down on them . When you get a chance and you catch him by himself and speak to him telling him about your situation first thing he asked did you speak to your HR and you reply yes… O okay send me the correspondence you sent your HR he shelf it waste of time all for themselves. Therefore we will continue to act like we in Hollywood. God see for us
Not everbody who currently Acting is the right person for the job. Fraser need to go sit down with that.