Exclusive:Voluntary exit scheme opens for senior civil servants as part of £1bn cuts
The voluntary exit scheme is part of swingeing changes coming to Scotland’s civil service
Ministers have opened a voluntary exit scheme for senior civil servants as part of sweeping £1 billion cuts.
Staff were informed on Wednesday morning of the plans to offer severance packages C Bands and senior civil servants (SCS).
However, the internal staff communication states the Scottish government “remains committed to the No Compulsory Redundancy Policy”.
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Proposals seen by The Scotsman offer staff one month’s pay for each year of service up to a maximum of 21 months.
For those already at retirement age, the payout will be capped at six months salary, according to the letter to staff from Miriam Craven, the Scottish Government’s Director General for Corporate.
Ms Craven tells staff thinking about voluntary exit to “take the time you need” to read the guidance carefully but emphasises that the civil service must become smaller.
"Like many organisations, the shape of our workforce has evolved in response to the demands placed on us over a sustained period,” she adds.
"Ministers are clear they expect us to lead public service reform by example, and Serving Scotland, our five year plan, sets out how we will do that.
"We must become smaller and more focused.”
Exit payments worth more than £95,000 will be sent to ministers for approval once a decision has been made.
C Band civil service have a starting salary of £62,111 and the staff notice says the government has seen “workforce growth since 2020” at that grade.
The staff communication reads: “Resignations and retirements alone won't get us to the size and shape we need at these grades.
“Focusing on these grades also gives us scope to review leadership structures, widen spans of control (how many people a manager is responsible for day to day), simplify management arrangements and put our senior cohort on a more sustainable footing for the future.”
Staff have been told the scheme is part of moves to reduce the size of the civil service in line with the the Public Service Reform (PSR) Strategy.
The PSR strategy commits to reducing the annual combined corporate costs of the Scottish government and public bodies by £1bn by 2030.
The notice says the total workforce size has reduced by by 12.7 per cent since recruitment controls were implemented in 2022.
It adds: “But we must go further to ensure the size and shape of our workforce is financially sustainable and reflects our future priorities.”
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A row between the unions and the Scottish government broke out last week after Ivan McKee, the public sector reform secretary, signalled the end of a ban on compulsory redundancies.
Mr McKee told a committee at Holyrood that he would consider the move if every other avenue to reduce the workforce had been “exhausted”.
However, the notice to staff today says: “The Scottish Government remains committed to the No Compulsory Redundancy Policy.”
Ms Craven’s message adds: "While this is a targeted scheme, it will affect our whole organisation. We can expect to get smaller when the process concludes and people leave the organisation in around a year's time.
“That will require some adjustment in teams and strong support from managers and leaders.
“We will need to be clear about priorities, stop doing some things, work with others more closely to avoid duplication, and embrace the efficiencies that innovation and technology can offer.”
Scottish Conservative MSP Murdo Fraser, public service reform spokesman, said: “Taxpayers look set to foot a huge bill to deliver gold-plated payoffs for civil servants under this SNP scheme.
“If the nationalists insist on keeping their no compulsory redundancy policy in place, then they will simply not make the savings required in Scotland’s public sector.
“A scheme of this nature will surely also result in those who have reached the upper echelons leaving, and glaring gaps being left at the top of the civil service.”
A Scottish Government spokesperson said: “The Voluntary Exit Scheme will support the aim of becoming a smaller and more focused organisation by giving eligible staff at managerial and Senior Civil Service grades the opportunity to apply to leave on agreed terms taking account of business requirements, workforce priorities, affordability and the need to retain critical skills and capacity.
“Public service reform will help to ensure that Scottish Government investment is focused on frontline delivery, with the right staff in the right roles to deliver real improvements in public services.”
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