Extra cost of Covid pushed States’ pay bill up by £13m.
STATES’ pay costs rose by more than £13m. last year, but actually fell in real terms if exceptional staff costs related specifically to Covid were excluded, the States Accounts reveal.
Pay costs are the largest single item of expenditure in the public sector, totalling 49.3% of total revenue spending last year. If Covid is excluded from that calculation, it is responsible for more than half.
In all, total expenditure on pay, including permanent, temporary and agency staff, and £1.75m. on States members, was £264.8m. in 2021, up from £251m. the year before.
While this is a nominal increase of 5.5%, and a real terms increase of 0.9%, or £2.2m., this included £5m. spent on staff involved in Covid measures, including the vaccine centre, on-island testing and border testing, which was up from £1m. in 2020.
With this temporary spend excluded, the pay bill fell in real terms.
Pay rises were only made in 2021 to public service employees, who received 2.4%, and health staff covered by the Agenda for Change agreement, who had a 5% increase.
In all pay increases accounted for £6.6m., which included £2.9m. for 2020 awards which had not been settled at the time the 2021 Budget was drawn up.
The States workforce grew by 142 full-time equivalent staff over the course of the year to 4,862.
This was almost entirely attributable to health and social care services, where 148 FTEs were introduced, 100 of them working specifically on Covid, including 41 in the vaccine centre, an increase of 25 in on-island testing and 34 in border testing, and an additional 35 headcount in adult disability services.
The report also lists staff with employment costs greater than £90,000 a year, which grew by 16 staff to 256 at the end of 2021.
The biggest increase in this category was seen in nursing staff, where numbers rose by nine to 52.
The States said this was a reflection of the 5% pay award to Agenda for Change staff, sending some on a certain pay grade into this bracket. Some would also be temporary, due to overtime payments for some nurses during Covid.
Fifteen States employees are now paid more than £190,000 – two from established staff, eight medical consultants and five Crown Officers and judges, up from three in 2020.
Non-pay expenditure totalled £272.4m. during the year, a decrease of £22m. compared to 2020.
Covid business support measures fell by £28.9m. compared to 2020, though £6m. was spent on special Covid measures, including vaccinations and border testing, compared to £1m. in 2020.
