Jersey's £512 million public sector workforce bill revealed

Government buildings on Broad Street St Helier.
There was an 18:1 ratio between the highest and lowest earners in Jersey's civil service in 2022. Credit: ITV Channel

Jersey's government has published its 2022 Annual Report, revealing the cost of running the island's civil service.

The 336-page document showed the growing workforce cost £512 million last year, an increase of £35 million compared to 2021.

The Government of Jersey is the single largest employer on the island, with more than 9,000 people - or about 15% of the island's working population according to the 2021 Census - employed in the public sector.

Labour Market figures published in April 2023 revealed the government has more people on its payroll than ever before.

Within the organisation, there was an 18:1 ratio between the highest and lowest-paid government employees.

In 2022, there was a median pay gap of 15% between male and female civil servants.

The government says it is working to address the disparity within the gender pay gap, introducing structured, transparent pay scales and flexible working policies.

At the top end of the organisation chart, 458 people earned a six-figure salary last year - a 27.5% increase compared to 2021.

Of those, 169 employees worked in the civil service, 122 were doctors, 37 were teachers or headteachers, 50 were contractors, 37 were lawyers and 16 worked for Jersey Police.

The top 10 individual earners within Jersey's government during 2022 were:

1. Suzanne Wylie

While the £250,000 salary associated with Suzanne Wylie's role as CEO has been previously publicised, from the moment she joined Jersey's government in February 2022, she also began earning a public sector pension.

During the 11 months of the year she was employed in the civil service, she received a salary of between £220-£230,000. Mrs Wylie's received £35-£40k of pension contributions in that time.

She handed in her resignation on Tuesday 14 March 2023, although it was not made public until a week later - something Chief Minister Kristina Moore later apologised for.

Mrs Wylie will leave Jersey at the end of June 2023 to return to her former home in Belfast, where she will take up a new role as the CEO of the Northern Ireland Chamber of Commerce.

Mrs Wylie took over as Jersey's top civil servant in February 2022. Credit: Government of Jersey

2. Richard Corrigan

Mr Corrigan was working as Jersey's Chief Officer for the Economy - working under Economic Development Ministers Lyndon Farnham and Kirsten Morel.

The senior civil servant has also been heading up the government's response to the L'Ecume II fishing boat disaster.

While his 2022 government salary falls within the range of £150-£155k, last year he also received a £30-£35k pension contribution plus an additional £55-£60k in "other remuneration and benefits" as part of his employment package.

Mr Corrigan joined the Government of Jersey in 2017, and established the Economy Department in 2022. Credit: ITV Channel

3. Caroline Landon

Caroline Landon was in charge of Jersey's Health Department from 2018 until she departed in March 2023, alongside the island's Chief Nurse Rose Naylor.

She led the health service during the Covid-19 pandemic but also had to deal with a series of failings exposed in the Mascie-Taylor report in August 2022.

Last year, she received a salary of £185-£190k in addition to government pension contributions worth between £25,000 and £30,000.

Caroline Landon headed up the Health Department from 2018 until she left in March 2023 alongside Chief Nurse, Rose Naylor. Credit: ITV Channel

4. John Quinn

The government's Chief Operating Officer, John Quinn, left the civil service in January 2023 as part of Chief Minister Kristina Moore's plans to restructure the organisation and establish a new Cabinet Office.

He moved to Jersey in 2018, having previously worked with Mrs Wylie's predecessor Charlie Parker at Westminster City Council.

Mr Quinn was responsible for the government's HR and IT departments, including the "Integrated Technology Solution" project, which has cost £64.2 million so far.

Last year, he received a salary of between £175-£180k plus pension contributions worth between £25-30k and between £5,000 and £10,000 in "other remuneration and benefits".

John Quinn oversaw the government's HR and IT departments before taking voluntary redundancy in January 2023. Credit: ITV Channel/Government of Jersey

5. Richard Bell

Mr Bell has been the Treasurer of the States of Jersey since 2014, heading up the government's Treasury.

He has served under four Treasury Ministers, including Philip Ozouf, Alan Maclean, Susie Pinel and Ian Gorst.

In 2022, he was paid a salary of between £150-£155k, plus pension contributions worth between £25,000 and £30,000.

Richard Bell has been the Treasurer of the States since 2014. Credit: Government of Jersey

6. Andy Scate

After a decade in charge of Jersey's Environment Department and a brief stint as the government's Group Director of Regulation, Andy Scate took the top job at the combined 'Infrastructure, Housing and Environment' super-department on an interim basis in March 2020.

He was later confirmed to have been given the job permanently in June 2021.

In 2022, he received a government salary of between £165-£170k and pension contributions worth between £25,000 and £30,000.

Andy Scate spent a decade in charge of the Environment Department, and now heads up the combined Infrastructure & Environment Department. Credit: Government of Jersey

7. Rob Sainsbury

Mr Sainsbury took acting charge of the Department for Children, Young People, Education and Skills in January 2022, and was recruited into the role permanently in December that year.

He was previously the Group Managing Director of the island's Health Department, overseeing the hospitals and mental health services.

During 2022, he received a salary of between £150-£155k, plus government pension contributions worth between £15-£20k and "other remuneration and benefits" worth between £5,000 and £10,000.

Rob Sainsbury led Jersey's Health Department before taking the reins at Education in January 2022. Credit: ITV Channel

8. Ian Burns, Catherine Madden and Tom Walker

The Chief Officer of Customer & Local Services, the government Chief of Staff, and the then-Director General of Strategic Planning, Policy and Performance all earned between £170-£180k in 2022.

They all earned pension contributions of between £20,000-£25,000 last year.

Senior civil servants Ian Burns, Catherine Madden and Tom Walker all earned between £170-180k last year. Credit: Government of Jersey

9. Kate Nutt

Ms Nutt is the head of Jersey's External Relations department, based in the government's London office.

The Annual Report reveals she was paid a salary of £145-£150k by 'Channel Islands Governmental Services Company (London) Ltd' - a UK business fully owned by the Government of Jersey, of which she is a director.

She also received between £20-£25k into a government pension, plus up to £5,000 in "other remuneration and benefits".

Kate Nutt is the External Relations Department's Chief Officer. Credit: Government of Jersey

10. Kate Briden

The Chief Officer at Justice and Home Affairs has been in her role since October 2021 but spent the first few months in "acting" charge of the department until being appointed to the position permanently in June 2022.

She received a salary of between £145-£150k last year, as well as £15,000-£20,000 in government pension contributions.

Kate Briden has been in charge of the Justice and Home Affairs Department since 2021. Credit: Government of Jersey

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