Scorrie Posted September 5, 2012 Report Share Posted September 5, 2012 Parachute someone in. Pay them to make unpopular decisions (leaving the majority of present incumbents with an alibi/scapegoat when the natives become restless and demand blood). Pay the executioner off. Job done. Squeaky clean consciences all round in Shetlands corridors of power. Present incumbents carry on as normal whilst chanting "it wasnae me". Hurrah. The axeman cometh..... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
paulb Posted September 5, 2012 Report Share Posted September 5, 2012 that does have a horrible ring of truth in it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
unlinkedstudent Posted September 6, 2012 Report Share Posted September 6, 2012 The police get paid overtime, they also do not loose the leave, they take it at another time. Crofters/farmers they do not get paid by the hour but on results of the labours they put in. Though they are a poor bunch on Shetland if you look at the total income of farming and compare it to all who are involved in it. Last time I looked it was about £5,000 per head. They do get quite a substantial sum from tax payers money if you check the figures, farmers that is. ... You are incorrect regarding the situation with many police officers. Even though they fall outside the remit of the WTR, many police officers never get to take their full leave entitlement due to pressures of work. Many forces expect their officers to book their leave at a set time of the year, setting out when they intend to take their annual leave for the next 12 months. As for paid by the hour re crofters, I was merely making a comparison, albeit not a parallel one, concerning the fact that many people work long hours. It isn't a case of being paid by the hour. JON commented on experience, etc. Again, be high flyers working in the city, heads of companies, other LA Chief Executives/whatever - when you are on a salary of that type, you DON'T get overtime payments. Usually the contracts specify a certain minimum number of hours you'll be expected to work and the contracts also specify that you'll be expected to put in extra hours "as and when required with no additional renumeration". That is what stinks about the situation. There isn't anything wrong with people doing a job well in say the private sector and awarding bonuses provided the company can afford it and it isn't detrimental to others but we're talking the public sector here - those at the top have a duty to provide 'Best Value'. I don't buy the argument about retaining staff as it seemed the sensible thing to do; for crying out loud, we're talking Wiltshire which wasn't exactly overflowing with job vacancies at the time. Come to think of it, the whole scenario of giving others at the top extra dosh/bonuses at a time when other local authorities were cutting back doesn't sit well with me either - you ain't telling me there were loads of other public sector jobs they could be applying for out there in the job market. If all this is true, our new Chief Executive had the option of refusing the payment - did he refuse to accept it? Nope, from what I can gather. Does he regret accepting the payment? Has he learnt from it? Everyone can make mistakes and people do deserve a second chance. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest CyprusPluto Posted September 6, 2012 Report Share Posted September 6, 2012 Usually the contracts specify a certain minimum number of hours you'll be expected to work and the contracts also specify that you'll be expected to put in extra hours "as and when required with no additional renumeration". Absolutely correct, this is exactly the wording of employment contracts for managers in the public sector. I have spent most of my working life as a manager in the public sector, but on less than half the salary Mr Boden was paid as CEO in Wiltshire. Many times we have undergone transitions as central government has decided on new ways forward and the additional hours and weekend work was always unpaid. Some of my similarly paid colleagues put in far more hours than myself and many exceeded the regular 60 hours per week quoted, and still do. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tomblands Posted September 6, 2012 Report Share Posted September 6, 2012 The quote from the article in the 2nd post is a wee bit selective, it misses out the next quote from Mark Boden which puts a slightly different spin on things - “The councillors at Kennet decided to pay them an honorarium, partly because they were taking on responsibility, and partly as a retention measure to encourage people to stay to the end of the council,†he said. Additional responsibility plus retention measure. I'm not going to comment if the amount was fair or not, there's not enough information available, but everything seems pretty above board to me. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
shetlandpeat Posted September 6, 2012 Report Share Posted September 6, 2012 You are incorrect regarding the situation with many police officers. Even though they fall outside the remit of the WTR, many police officers never get to take their full leave entitlement due to pressures of work. Many forces expect their officers to book their leave at a set time of the year, setting out when they intend to take their annual leave for the next 12 months. They either don't get all their leave of have to book it so far in advance? It is not in the Police Forces interest to continually cancel leave as sometimes the compensation is far greater than the cancelled leave, also, there are the additional payments. The officers I deal with seem do do quite well out of the deal, and have some great holidays. http://www.polfed.org/membersarea/useful_information.asp Honoraria to employees are subject to Income Tax and National Insurance contributions under PAYE A true “honoraria†is generally a payment received by an office holder. It may only be a token payment rather than a commercial fee, but it is clearly a payment which results from holding the office. Such payments are “earnings†for the purposes of section 3(1) SSCBA 1992 and will be liable for Class 1 NICs. I don't know what the fuss is really about, especially as all this happened in another authority and was the judgement of that authority. No charges or disciplinary action was taken. http://www.stackyard.com/news/2006/04/rural/muck_spreading.jpg Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Clickimin Clippie Posted September 7, 2012 Report Share Posted September 7, 2012 Mr Boden's first challenge will be establishing any kind of authority over his staff and earning thier respect (or fear). Two internal candidates will be less than pleased with his appointment. We must assume that they were also excellent candidates to make the final short list. Unlike Mr Boden, they survived the executive reshuffle. Their own authority wanted to keep them. Baby-face Gray has already fired a massive shot across the new CEs bow with his glowing profile on Shetland News on the day the new appointment was announced. How long before members not on the selection panel start claiming they didnt have the full facts? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ghostrider Posted September 7, 2012 Report Share Posted September 7, 2012 I don't know what the fuss is really about, especially as all this happened in another authority and was the judgement of that authority. No charges or disciplinary action was taken. Ethics! Or the lack thereof as practiced by Mr. Boden. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tooney1 Posted September 7, 2012 Report Share Posted September 7, 2012 Parachute someone in. The axeman cometh.....I thought Alistair Buchan might have been that axeman, as he was always temporary, but no. If it takes 6 months to get a new employee to get up to speed, then they they leave, then really little value is gained out of them. This position needs to be filled long term now and he needs to be committed. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
shetlandpeat Posted September 7, 2012 Report Share Posted September 7, 2012 I don't know what the fuss is really about, especially as all this happened in another authority and was the judgement of that authority. No charges or disciplinary action was taken. Ethics! Or the lack thereof as practiced by Mr. Boden. Where is it that he broke the code of conduct or contracts. Just because you feel uncomfortable about it does not mean that the whole package is right. there is no mass complaint, just the less than 0.2% of the population of Shetland on here. What are folk going to do about it? Nothing, they will hope for some sort of failure to prove their own thought on the matter. Do anything, doubt it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ghostrider Posted September 7, 2012 Report Share Posted September 7, 2012 I don't know what the fuss is really about, especially as all this happened in another authority and was the judgement of that authority. No charges or disciplinary action was taken. Ethics! Or the lack thereof as practiced by Mr. Boden. Where is it that he broke the code of conduct or contracts. Just because you feel uncomfortable about it does not mean that the whole package is right. I think you may have a typo in that. The term "ethical" is subjective as it is defined at a personal or individual level, codes of conduct or contracts need not be broken for actions to be thought by some as ethically questionable. What are folk going to do about it? Nothing, they will hope for some sort of failure to prove their own thought on the matter. Do anything, doubt it. You're quite right, nothing will be done, because nothing can be done....yet. You cannot be hung for thinking it, and the past is at the moment, settled. However, "to be forewarned is to be forearmed", so he will be watched like a hawk. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Clickimin Clippie Posted September 7, 2012 Report Share Posted September 7, 2012 I don't know what the fuss is really about, especially as all this happened in another authority and was the judgement of that authority. No charges or disciplinary action was taken. Ethics! Or the lack thereof as practiced by Mr. Boden. Where is it that he broke the code of conduct or contracts. Just because you feel uncomfortable about it does not mean that the whole package is right. I think you may have a typo in that. The term "ethical" is subjective as it is defined at a personal or individual level, codes of conduct or contracts need not be broken for actions to be thought by some as ethically questionable. What are folk going to do about it? Nothing, they will hope for some sort of failure to prove their own thought on the matter. Do anything, doubt it. You're quite right, nothing will be done, because nothing can be done....yet. You cannot be hung for thinking it, and the past is at the moment, settled. However, "to be forewarned is to be forearmed", so he will be watched like a hawk. If SIC does not withdraw the offer, you are right, he will be watched like a hawk. Everything he is seen doing will be whispered about and end up on shetlink. Anything not seen will be made up. Does he really want to put his family through this? Taking it on the chin is one thing, but if his wife is reading what is already being said, she can only guess at what it will be like once she is here. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
unlinkedstudent Posted September 7, 2012 Report Share Posted September 7, 2012 If SIC does not withdraw the offer, you are right, he will be watched like a hawk. Everything he is seen doing will be whispered about and end up on shetlink. Anything not seen will be made up. Does he really want to put his family through this? Taking it on the chin is one thing, but if his wife is reading what is already being said, she can only guess at what it will be like once she is here. Perish the thought, the wife of somebody in the public eye who seriously doesn't think that her SO will be gossiped about! For some reason, I can't help but think about Norma Major - more peas anyone? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
greenman Posted September 8, 2012 Report Share Posted September 8, 2012 how long till he out sources all S I C srvices to save money Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Redrobbie99 Posted September 8, 2012 Author Report Share Posted September 8, 2012 Something thats not being considered is if in 18 short months Scotland votes for independence as looks increasingly likely on the back of an anti Tory/Lib Dem backlash the political and financial situation in Scotland and Shetland could be turned on its head. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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