Richard Rolke - Vernon Morning Star Published: July 10, 2010 12:00 PM
One North Okanagan Regional District official isn’t convinced the board should completely abandon its role in staffing matters. A majority of the directors have voted to rescind 27 board policies related to human resources, including extended health benefits, bereavement leave, long-term disability and relocation expenses. They will be replaced by policies that are administered by NORD’s administrator, and that is a concern for Mike Macnabb, BX-Silver Star director. “As a board, we have a responsibility to the employees,” said Macnabb. He also questioned why the board policies would be rescinded when directors hadn’t seen the new wording. “We shouldn’t micro-manage but we should know what we’re agreeing to,” said Macnabb, adding that there is a need for transparency.
Technically, the board only has one employee, the administrator, and the administrator is left to set direction on a majority of staffing issues. A recent review of policies indicated many were out of date and did not follow the board’s one employee model. Most of the board did not have a problem with scrapping the existing policies. “This is why we have professional staff making recommendations. Let’s trust our staff,” said director John Trainor. Greg Betts, the current administrator, cautioned that there will still be a role for the board to play in some cases. “If it affects the budget, I’d have to come back to the board,” he said of staffing policies. Besides Macnabb, opposition to limiting board involvement in human resources came from directors Doug Dirk and Mike Gavinchuk. “If someone in the office doesn’t like what the administrator has done, where do they go?” said Gavinchuk.
3 comments:
Re: Mike Gavinchuk's comment:“If someone in the office doesn’t like what the administrator has done, where do they go?”
Simple answer is quit and find another job. Swivel servants should not be given life tenure and assume they run the show.
The public sector is so far out of sync from the private sector nowadays.
As for Gavinchuk and Macnabb, where do we go to get rid of them?
Kudos to Macnabb and Gavinchuk for wondering why their ONE EMPLOYEE couldn't be bothered to share his plans for the staff he oversees, on the Board's and every regional taxpayer's behalf.
What constitutes "the majority of staffing issues"? Does that leave a minority of staffing issues still under the purview of the Board?
Robert must have been referring to a particular civil servant with life tenure who assumes he runs the show.
Beaurocraps running the show and Vernon paying more than its fair share. Beaurocraps already way overpaid and benefits out of this world. What a dumb bunch we have at the Nord board table!
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