Church Workers to Face Performance Appraisals

Ministers in the Church of England are set to face performance appraisals similar to those already in place in many corporate businesses, reports Personnel Today.

|TOP|The “ministerial reviews” are the latest in a number of human resources measures implemented in a bid to improve employment practice within the Church.

Rachel Maskell, the Amicus officer in charge of negotiating employment rights for church workers, said the union had no objection to the plans “as long as it is done properly and is not used as a stick to beat people with”.

The measure follows a report earlier this year, Review of Clergy Terms of Service, which also recommended up to 18 strategic HR professional to oversee people in management in the Church.

Ms. Maskell said, however, that the initial number of HR staff has been brought down to around seven or eight regional HR officers.

“This reduction will have a real impact on people who really need help,” she said.

|AD|Implementation of a nationwide HR department has been delayed following disagreements in the Synod over the key issue of church property and clergy homes, normally owned by the incumbent.

The development coincides with a House of Lords ruling to be announced this week on the case of Helen Percy, a former clergywoman, who claims she was unfairly dismissed by the Church of Scotland after being accused of having an affair with a married elder.

With the church out of legal jurisdiction of civil law – being governed by God and not by men - church ministers are confident that the House of Lords will find in favour of the Kirk.

Amicus has come out in support of church ministers attempting to implement the same protection at work as those in non-church organisations. The union, which has more than 2,000 clergy members, has called on the Government to allow ministers of religion access to a full spread of rights through the Employment Rights Act 1999, section 23.

If ministers win full employment rights, they would have the right not to be unfairly dismissed, to have parental leave, annual leave and redundancy payments.

“Amicus does not dispute that God, by virtue of a minister’s calling, is their ultimate employer,” said Ms. Maskell. “However, in recognising this relationship we believe that there can be no abdication of responsibility by those with the powers to impact on the relationship and thus to co-manage the employment of the minister.”