The Chair of the National Assembly's Public Accounts Committee, Darren Millar AM, has released the following statement in response to the Auditor General for Wales's report 'Managing early departures across Welsh public bodies.'
"The Auditor General's report highlights the substantial cost to Welsh public bodies of early departure packages over recent years and it seems that some public bodies have been more generous than others in the terms on offer. While recognising the potential savings that can result from these arrangements and opportunities to re-shape the workforce, public bodies need to demonstrate value for money and ensure that they are managing effectively the impact on service delivery of these departures.
"The Committee's recent report on senior management pay noted our concern that the practice of paying off staff when they leave an organisation needs to be highly transparent. The Committee was also concerned about the practice of staff being re-employed elsewhere in the public sector after receiving an exit package from a previous employer, something that the UK Government is looking to legislate on.
"The Committee will be considering the Auditor General's report at its meeting on 10 February 2015."
"The Auditor General's report highlights the substantial cost to Welsh public bodies of early departure packages over recent years and it seems that some public bodies have been more generous than others in the terms on offer. While recognising the potential savings that can result from these arrangements and opportunities to re-shape the workforce, public bodies need to demonstrate value for money and ensure that they are managing effectively the impact on service delivery of these departures.
"The Committee's recent report on senior management pay noted our concern that the practice of paying off staff when they leave an organisation needs to be highly transparent. The Committee was also concerned about the practice of staff being re-employed elsewhere in the public sector after receiving an exit package from a previous employer, something that the UK Government is looking to legislate on.
"The Committee will be considering the Auditor General's report at its meeting on 10 February 2015."