The number of public sector disciplinary proceedings initiated in the 2019-2020 fiscal year spiked, a Public Service Commission annual report has found.

The most number of complaints were recorded within the Ministry of Education Sports and Culture, the report has stated. 

“In this [fiscal year], 64 cases of misconduct were reported to the Commission (38 or 146 per cent more than [the previous Financial Year," the report said. 

The report says the Commission conducted several awareness programmes about the public service's code of conduct.

“As a result, while the number of disciplinary proceedings has increased significantly, the number of appeals against the outcome of these proceedings have decreased to one," added the report.

The P.S.C. says they are also responsible for managing the disciplinary proceedings for chief executive officers and contract employees (including assistant chief Executive officers and school principals).

“The Commission received a total of 22 formal complaints against Chief Executives and contract employees," the report said. 

"The complaints included serious allegations of corruption and misconduct.”

There were four complaints from employees against chief executive officers; 12 against assistant chief executive officers and six against school principals.

The report says the key issues causing appeals to be filed (about promotions and vacant positions) with the P.S.C. were that appellant(s) did not understand their rights to appeal against a decision to appoint or promote a person.

“Unfortunately, there are employees who are not applicants to a position yet they insist on appealing a decision to appoint another person," the report said.

"Appellants also did not understand the grounds of an appeal for a decision to appoint or promote a person,” says the report.

The report also identified problems with Ministries following proper process when conducting disciplinary proceedings.