CLA plans to rebuild HR oversight committee amid hiring controversies
Published:Sunday | August 11, 2024 | 12:14 AMJovan Johnson - Senior Staff Reporter
The Cannabis Licensing Authority (CLA) has announced plans to re-establish an oversight committee for hiring decisions by October 2024, following its controversial disbandment earlier this year.
The update comes amid mounting calls from employees and the opposition People's National Party for the auditor general to investigate the CLA's hiring and firing practices, as well as its procurement and accounting activities.
The CLA, which regulates Jamaica's ganja and hemp industry, disbanded the Human Resource Executive Committee (HREC) in January 2024, shortly after it voted against hiring an unqualified candidate recommended for a key position. Despite the committee's decision, the candidate was later hired, prompting concerns among staff about a “total lack of transparency”.
More than a dozen workers have expressed fears of victimisation if they raise concerns, citing the disbandment as a catalyst for a series of questionable HR decisions.
“Contracts are weaponised and utilised to suppress employees so they suffer in silence or to fire employees,” said one official, who requested anonymity, as The Sunday Gleaner highlighted the issue last weekend.
Another added, “The management style has led to low staff morale and fostered division and isolation within the organisation.”
The CLA's 65 employees are on contracts.
CLA statement
The CLA's chief executive officer, Farrah Blake, has not responded to questions submitted to her by The Sunday Gleaner on July 11 regarding the situation.
In a statement on Saturday, the CLA said it acknowledged the “feedback” from its staff, stating that the HREC's term “concluded in January 2024” and that a “comprehensive review and update of the committee's terms of reference are under way to establish a robust HR Advisory Committee by October 2024.
“Our employees are our most significant resource. We are devoted to ensuring every team member feels acknowledged and appreciated. The organisation is rooted in equitable practices and procedural integrity across all facets of operation,” said Blake, who is one year on the job.
There were no details on why staff were not updated before now on when the committee would be established, why the process is taking almost a year, given the committee's remit, and the level of oversight being given to decisions in the interim. The CEO has final decision-making authority.
Despite the CLA's reassurance, workers have expressed doubt about the CLA's commitment to transparency on hiring, promotion, reassignment, and disciplining of staff. Concerns have revolved around new hires in administration, client facilitation, and hires not meeting basic qualification requirements, with some positions reportedly not being advertised and individuals being confirmed in roles without interviews or completing probation.
Workers were left shocked last Thursday after an administrative assistant was put in charge of the administration portfolio, a director's job, bypassing more senior and experienced staff at the CLA. The fleet management division was removed and transferred to another officer. The decisions have drawn criticism, especially given ongoing concerns about efforts to get a new SUV and the alleged use of CLA vehicles for personal purposes.
The CLA's board, chaired by Christopher McPherson, held an emergency meeting last Monday following The Sunday Gleaner report detailing these issues. The board has promised to address questions sent by Tuesday.
Transparency, due diligence
The Human Resource Management Association of Jamaica has emphasised the importance of HR committees like the HREC, stating that such bodies play a “pivotal role in supporting equity, transparency, due diligence, HR policy development, and compliance”.
It said these committees contribute to a “better balance of power and accountability, which in essence, contribute towards maintaining standards and the ability to stand up to scrutiny in how decisions are made.”
The CLA's Human Resource Policy and Procedures Manual states that the CEO is “ultimately accountable for the exercise of the human resource management functions of the authority” and that, in doing so, the CEO “shall establish accountability mechanisms, to include a Human Resource Executive Committee”.
However, since the committee's dissolution, at least 10 positions have been filled, alongside numerous reassignments and contract non-renewals, raising further concerns about transparency and accountability within the organisation.
The CLA operates under the Ministry of Industry, Investment and Commerce, led by Aubyn Hill. In July, the ministry stated it was unaware of the alleged HR issues at the CLA.