Understaffing in public service blamed for drop in productivity

The Principal Auditor has highlighted the consistently high number of vacancies in the public service over many years has had a detrimental impact on productivity and effectiveness.

In total, there were 481 vacancies during the past year, which includes 212 in the Civil Service alone.

The most recent figures from February this year, show the GHA has the highest number of unfilled jobs at 128, however, Tony Sacramento points out that no figure has been forthcoming from Elderly Residential Services, despite his official request and numerous reminders over 4 months.

The Principal Auditor acknowledges that, in any organisation, continuous staff turnover is inevitable due to retirements, resignations, promotions, transfers, and long-term absences. He also points out that the recruitment process can take years.

But even taking this into consideration, and the use of temporary staff in some departments, he says the level of understaffing across the public service remains “inordinate.” He claims many department heads blame under-resourcing on a decline in efficiency and productivity.

The Auditor says this has resulted in low morale among staff who feel overstretched, as well as missed deadlines.

The former Principal Auditor outlines vacancies across the public service from 2021 to 2025.

The Education Department had 520 vacancies across this period, with a pattern of having a high number one year and about half of this the following.

The RGP’s number of vacancies shot up for the year 2024 to 2025, with 46 unfilled posts as at February this year, compared to an average of fewer than 10 in previous years.

In other sections of the report, the Auditor notes 38 transfers from essential services to Government departments in 2023 - with 36 officers coming from the RGP and 2 from Customs.

He believes a significant number of police officers may have been granted employment protection due to the McGrailInquiry.

The GHA had just under 500 vacancies across the five year period reported on. With 128 unfilled posts as at February this year.

Mr Sacramento says there was no reply from the GHA on the number of unfilled posts at Elderly Residential Services.

He says his requests for this information from the GHA Director General and the GHA Director of Workforce were neither acknowledged nor actioned.

The Principal Auditor points out that during the period between 2019 and mid-2023, the government filled few vacant posts, which lead to increased overtime and higher costs than timely recruitment might have caused.

There are 62 Supernumary staff and 225 Gibraltar Development Corporation staff deployed across the public service. Both figures higher than the previous year.

The GDC Secretary told the Principal Auditor that it operates mainly as a provider of labour for the public service and does not keep vacancies because positions are filled as needed.

For the financial years 2021-22 through 2024-25, the GDC reported no vacancies, as all roles were filled based on operational demands and were approved in the Budget.