Council concern at staffing issues

Working for the Mackenzie District Council is ‘‘not for sissies’’ according to its chief executive.

Suzette van Aswegen made the remark during a council meeting last week after councillors questioned a high staff turnover and staff not taking their leave.

Fourteen staff resigned in the last year, nine had worked for the council for less than 12 months. The council has 47.31 effective fulltime staff.

A report by van Aswegen termed the people who left within the first year of their employment as ‘‘new hire failures’’.

The regulatory department had the highest number of new hire failures. Five regulatory staff, of a department of eight, left within 12 months.

Councillor Murray Cox asked whether it was a worry to have such a high turnover of staff.

Van Aswegen replied that working for the council ‘‘is not for sissies. It’s really, really, really hard’’.

Council manager of people and culture, Alexis Gray, said an investigation into the high turnover was underway.

She said it was important to look at each resignation in context.

‘‘Don’t get me wrong, it looks bad. But, we’re investigating as to why that is and what patterns or trends come out.’’

Van Aswegen’s report also said the council had more than $250,000 worth of leave owing on its books.

‘‘People are really busy, they are flat tack, they don’t take leave,’’ van Aswegen said.

Mayor Graham Smith asked whether council employees are encouraged to take their leave.

Gray replied yes, but said it was difficult for some people as there was no-one to back them up.

‘‘Your phone still rings, emails pile up, so people don’t really take leave.’’

Van Aswegen added ‘‘it’s a capacity issue in an organisation where the one backing up is already flat tack themselves’’.

Cr Stuart Barwood said council should have ‘‘a system in place where there’s enough people to cover people who are on leave’’.

Cr James Leslie agreed, and said it’s a ‘‘liability of quarter of a million dollars. We’re talking four, five fulltime staff could be employed on that. It’s there, it’s on the books’’.

‘‘I’m concerned that, perhaps ... requests for more resources are not coming through to us and I don’t think they would be met with resistance,’’ Leslie said.

Van Aswegen said the council was putting together a business case assessing operations and would ‘‘look at how we can put all that in our business case’’.

‘‘There are attitudes that need to change,’’ she said.