About 80 percent of all government employee records have been scanned and are available electronically, Human Resources Director Michelle Donovan-Stevens told legislators during the April Standing Finance Committee deliberations.
She also gave a variety of other updates on her department, according to a report on the closed-door SFC proceedings.
A “re-deployment plan,” she said, was implemented after the 2017 hurricanes to shift talent to where it was most needed.
She went on to explain that the Public Service Management Bill was “advanced” and includes a whistle-blowing provision.
Discussions also included the Health and Safety Wellness policy, which was approved by Cabinet, and the implementation of a series of wellness programmes through Project Uplift to support the mental and emotional wellness of public officers.
Ms. Donovan-Stevens said the DHR filled the vacant counsellor position for the programme and that a total of 200 employees participated.
In response to questions from Opposition Leader Marlon Penn, she added that the Training Division was not
functioning.
Learning, development
She then “informed that the programme had been changed to learning and development,” according to the SFC report, which provides no further details.
Natural Resources, Labour and Immigration Minister Vincent Wheatley asked about the status of a programme that grants an allowance to public officers who commute daily from the sister islands to Tortola and also whether there was an increase in that allowance.
Ms. Donovan-Stevens responded that the programme was still in place but that there was no increase in the commuter allowance.
Mr. Wheatley suggested that the allowance be increased because of the rising cost of the boat fare.
Ms. Donovan-Stevens also informed the SFC that a salary review had not been conducted since 2006 and that salary reviews will now be conducted every three to five years at maximum.
She also requested an additional $4,000 for basic training.