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£238,000 council chief 'sells' unused time off
Katharine Barney30 Apr 2009
One of Britain's highest paid council chiefs was labelled a "disgrace" today after it emerged he pocketed £12,000 on top of his £238,000 annual salary - for not taking all his annual holiday leave.
Peter Gilroy, chief executive of Kent county council, was criticised by taxpayer groups for taking the extra sum.
Figures obtained by a local Kent newspaper showed Mr Gilroy earned a basic salary of £207,100, a performance-related bonus of £31,065 and £11,916 under a holiday sell-back scheme. Susie Squire, campaign manager for the Taxpayers' Alliance, said of the decision to award the extra sum in 2007/2008: "It is a disgrace and ultimately rewards failure on Mr Gilroy's part to get all his work done on time.
"In a time when most hard-working British taxpayers are struggling to make ends meet ,this astronomic figure will make them sick to their stomachs. He should give that £12,000 back."
The figure paid to Mr Gilroy was criticised by opposition politicians who sit on the Conservative-run council.
Labour councillor Clive Hart said: "It is an incredible figure and more than some people I represent earn in a year. Is it necessary for this to be allowed?"
The figures emerged at a committee meeting yesterday and come after the publication of a survey by the Taxpayers' Alliance, revealing the number of people earning more than £100,000 at the council had doubled in a year.
Mr Gilroy, who earns £61,000 more than the Prime Minister, was allowed to "sell" his leave entitlement back to the council. Amanda Beer, the council's director of personnel, told the meeting: "The ability to sell annual leave is in the terms of employment and applies to all members of staff."
A Kent county council spokesman would not reveal how many holiday days Mr Gilroy claimed for. The spokesman added: "Peter Gilroy will continue to focus on what matters. We will not comment further on this personal attack on the chief executive.
"Peter Gilroy is an outstanding public servant who spent 28 years in social care before becoming chief executive at Kent. As acting director of children's services as well as chief executive, Peter is conducting a review into child protection in Kent alongside his other duties.
"He is being paid no additional salary for these added duties. He is never off duty and is rarely able to take his full leave entitlement."
County council leader Paul Carter said: "We have to recruit into a very competitive market for quality senior staff. That market and how it reacts to salary bands and levels will move."
It was revealed in February the council's senior officers were paid £102,000 in bonuses.
Reader views (9)
I am as sad and angry about Peter Gilroy's inflated salary - and his extra holiday pay - as I am about MP's expenses. How can these publicly paid fat cats live with themselves, when there are many people in Britain today who are really going without adequate food and shelter? It is just wrong, wrong, and wrong again.
- Rose, Maidstone Kent, 11/05/2009 15:40
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So Mr. Gilroy "is never away off duty". Is this the same man that I met in 2004 when he was director Social Services for Kent?
At the time he was running his own business importing coffins I beleive, as well as never being off duty. My understanding was that he was also travelling extensively on behalf of his business.
Perhaps there is more to this story?
- Doug Sheilds, Bristol, England, 02/05/2009 08:32
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I can't see anything wrong with the principle of paying someone pro rata for working extra hours. It's called "overtime" by the lower paid, who usually expect to be paid at a higher rate than pro rata.
On the other hand, I do find it extremely hard to imagine what a £238,000 fat cat can do that someone else couldn't do just as well for half or a quarter of that salary. Funny how the people who say you have to pay top salaries for top people, are always the same people who decide who is a top person and what that salary should be.
- Nigel, London, 30/04/2009 18:35
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You need to pay the going rate for the job. Else you will get mediocre managers taking on jobs where they are out of their depth.
Unpaid overtime is one thing, Val Daniels. Buying back unused leave is another. You're getting muddled by the 2 different issues.
- Ian Gilbertson, Newcastle, 30/04/2009 18:01
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This was the genius whose council placed more money than any other council with Icelandic banks.
- Andrew, London, 30/04/2009 16:58
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Maybe he should have donated his holiday pay to a fund replacing the millions lost to the Kent taxpayers in the Icelandic Banks.
I'm a KCC pensioner who worked in Social Care when Mr Gilroy was Assistant Director. I often chose to work 7 days a week, and out of hours, to clear my desk when the phone wasn't ringing and there were no interruptions. I was not rewarded for this; I was not entitled to extra payment, nor did I seek any. The job I did was important to a great many people and required more than the normal 8.30 'til 5 working day. There was a succession of cuts and a shortage of staff under the Conservative KCC, and managers like myself accepted the fact that unpaid overtime went with the territory. It's a pity Mr Gilroy hasn't learnt from the example set by his dedicated staff.
- Val Daniels, Mijas Costa, Spain, 30/04/2009 16:25
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Labour councillor Clive Hart - Bit rich coming from your ilk matey.
- Frank, Home Counties, England., 30/04/2009 16:20
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These people used to be known as clerks or chief clerks. Over the last thirty years they have jacked up their job titles and then their salaries have followed. They have used the justification that similarly titled people in commerce were getting much more money, forgetting that people in commerce took risks and bore more responsibility.
- Fred, Horsham, 30/04/2009 16:04
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And Boris wants to give Councils even more power so they may further milk the benefits and perks of the job. Not the least bit suprised that was Kent CC as L.B.of Bromey money wasters are no better
- Mike, London England, 30/04/2009 15:56
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