“Administration can do better” – Deputy HR

While many stakeholders have related their disappointment with the supervision at City Hall, it seems as though those views are shared by some of its employees as well.
Deputy Human Resources Manager of the Mayor and City Council (M&CC), Michelle Smith, who was summoned to the Commission of Inquiry on Friday, specified that the administrative body “can do better” in terms of its processes and answerability.
“I would say that there is room for improvement and the administration can do better,” Smith said.
Some of the areas which Smith was required to answer to included payment of salaries and benefits, employment of new persons and disciplining of staffers.
It was stated that workers of the Council are disciplined after a letter is sent to the Human Resources Management Committee, outlining the particulars of the misdemeanour. However, the complainant is allowed to sit at the hearing which seemed baffling to the Commission.
Smith’s explanation was puzzling for which the Legal Assistant, Sherwin Benjamin responded, “My understanding goes haywire. Whether he is asked questions from the Committee (or) he is there to give guidance. I think the HR lines are blurred at that point in time because natural law dictates that one cannot be a judge in his own case.”
At that instance, it was revealed that there are more persons employed under the unfixed agenda. Unfixed employees are those persons who would work until the age of 65 without receiving many benefits after retirement. The fixed employees retire at 55 years of age with gratuity and NIS payments.
For some of the persons who were not paid their benefits after retirement, Smith stated that she is of the belief that they have been paid or are in the process of receiving their monies, which can be verified by records of the Council. This is contradicting what retired employees told the Commission while giving their statements.
“Over the past days, a number of employees would have come to us and would have indicated that they have issues with benefits,” said Benjamin, as he requested those records to verify what was paid and the outstanding balance.
Meanwhile when asked about the vacancy procedure which is used by the Council, it was indicated that advertisements are usually sent out. However, “there are relatives of persons in senior positions” which Smith claimed were subjected to the same employment procedures as other staffers.
Other employees of the local organ will be subpoenaed next week to answer to the Commission based on statements that were previously submitted.