Public Sector employment rules - can you appoint someone to a job you haven't held a recruitment process for?

[giveadogabonio]

I've worked for a frontline public service and the civil service. We used to have rules in both of those organisations that if a post came up, even if there was a strong internal candidate there had to be a recruitment process for it (not necessarily external - sometimes from within the organisation).

I know work for a parish council. We have a team leader, a deputy and then 6 'workers' in my team. The deputy left last week and today I've had an email saying the management have looked at everybody's experience and skills and decided to give the deputy's job to a named worker.

THere's no mention of it being acting or temporary - just that this is now her role, but they haven't opened up a recruitment process to anybody else.

Is this allowed? It seems strange to me, as it wouldn't have been in my previous organisations, but it could be ok?

when I say they've looked at everybody's skills and experience - this hasn't been done via an application process, I don't know how they've done it tbh. Sounds like an informal chat in the office behind our backs.

I'd like to know too. Recently several people in my workplace have been given promotions to jobs which have not been advertised. It is very unfair on others who may have wished to apply.

I wonder if Flowery still posts on here..

It sucks, doesn't it reluctant?

It is allowed afaik - it's only the civil service / public sector where the 'fair and open competition' thing is so prevalent.

In business organisations / commerce managers are generally allowed to hire whoever they want (subject to not breaking the law).

I'm still in the public sector, Samantha. I work for a parish council.

And sometimes jobs aren't advertised, that's life! Life isn't always fair tbh.

You could look on the intranet and see what their own rules say?

Sorry, this isn't AIBU Samantha, I'm looking for answers from people who actually know what they're talking about.

Actually loling at the idea of a Parish Council having an intranet.

Do you have access to your local branch of the association of local councils? We use ours to provide specialist advice along with the staff at our local district council on occasion.

I am a parish councillor and we wouldn't appoint without advertising, even if it's just an advert on the notice board.

Thanks MrsPnut, I didn't know about them. Have looked and there is a local branch. Will give them a call tomorrow and see what they say.

Thanks for your help.

There's no legal requirement to advertise internally or externally, but public sector organisations generally have internal policies and procedures that require some kind of process.

I don't know anything about parish councils but I would expect some kind of procedures around how they operate, how decisions are made, how money is spent etc, and rules about recruitment decisions including head count should be included somewhere I would have thought.

Thank you Flowery, I will look into it in that case.

Er I do know what I'm talking about but whatever.

Whatever indeed.