Independent reviewer publishes proposals for States Members’ pay

11th September 2023

​Today, an independent remuneration reviewer has published proposals for States Members' pay and how it should be determined in future.

The role of reviewer was created as an independent body from the States Assembly, following new legislation put in place in April 2022 - the States of Jersey (Remuneration of Elected Members) Law 2022. This means that States Members do not decide their own pay. Under the new system, the reviewer must consult the Minister for Treasury and Resources and other States Members as part of their work, but the reviewer's determination is final and cannot be changed by States Members. The reviewer's report must specify Members' remuneration and the date when any change takes effect, explaining the rationale for both.

The key proposal is that future changes to States Members' pay will be linked to an objective, transparent benchmark published by Statistics Jersey over which States Members themselves have no control. The benchmark, called the Average Earnings Index, shows how the earnings of employees in Jersey have changed over the previous year.

There are also proposals and recommendations on other aspects of their remuneration, including payments made to members who are not re-elected.

The reviewer is seeking public feedback on the proposals by 3 October, through an online survey, before making her final decision.

Jennifer Long, the States Members' Renumeration Reviewer, commented: "Given the impact States Members have on the lives of everyone in Jersey, it's important they are paid fairly for the work they do while also being fair to taxpayers and constituents. These proposals would bring States Members' pay and pensions more in line with other employees and public servants in Jersey and provide a transparent and objective basis for future updates."

 

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