Council ‘unable to confirm or deny’ chief executive disciplinary reports
Orkney Islands Council (OIC) says it is “unable to confirm or deny” reports that its chief executive Oliver Reid has been suspended pending disciplinary processes.
Over six weeks on from Mr Reid’s sudden absence, the authority has provided its first update, following reports by The Orcadian and BBC Radio Orkney.
This morning, the newspaper reported that OIC was investigating complaints surrounding its top official.
A spokesman for the authority said: “It has been reported in the local media that the chief executive ‘has been suspended for the last six weeks due to a disciplinary process.’
“The council is unable to confirm or deny this as the chief executive’s special leave is an individual staffing matter.
“On legal advice, the council does not comment on individual staffing matters.”
It was on Monday, May 25, that Mr Reid was put on what OIC described as “special leave.”
Since then, the authority refused to provide any further information, with almost all of our questions going unanswered.
While Mr Reid has been absent, OIC’s corporate directors have been taking it in turns, one month at a time, to take on the role of chief executive.
In a statement issued through OIC, council leader Councillor Heather Woodbridge said she had “full confidence in our senior officer team.”
“The suitability of interim arrangements put in place are regularly reviewed and will last for as long as is necessary,” she added.
A council statement reiterated that the chief executive remains on “special leave.”
An OIC spokesman added: “In the interim, the council’s corporate directors are undertaking the role of deputising chief executive on a monthly rotational basis to ensure all council commitments are met and business continues to run as usual.
“This arrangement will continue for as long as is needed. Any update to these arrangements will be communicated as and when they happen.”
In this week’s edition of The Orcadian, OIC came under fire for its approach to the situation at the top of the authority.
A former media law lecturer Francis Shennan said: “‘Special leave’ is normally understood to mean time off in an emergency or at short notice because of the ill-health of the person concerned, of a close family member or due to an inability of the person to perform their functions for whatever reason.”
The former member of Employment Tribunals Scotland added that there were “clear public interest grounds” for disclosing the reasons for the leave.
“The reason can be disclosed in terms which do not infringe the person’s right to privacy or confidentiality,” Mr Shennan said.
Liam McArthur MSP told The Orcadian that the decision to put Mr Reid on special leave “came as a surprise to almost everyone” — a view shared by those who have spoken to the newspaper too.
Mr McArthur added: “In such circumstances, there will be strict limits on what the council can say for legal reasons.
“Nevertheless, the lack of information and ongoing uncertainty are unsettling and it is in the interests of all concerned that any process that needs to be followed is concluded without undue delay.”