A heavily-criticised Dundee City Council boss has been given a new top job and giant pay increase behind closed doors, The Courier can reveal.
Confidential papers we’ve seen show Janet Robertson who was accused of “unacceptable” behaviour following the suspension of teacher Linda Ross has been made the council’s new head of human resources on almost £80,000 a year.
Ms Robertson’s new job, which oversees responsibility for the development and well-being of all council staff, was not advertised internally or externally.
Her appointment was approved in private on Monday at a meeting of the council’s policy and resources committee.
The new executive was one of three council employees who “cast a bad reflection on the city” following the suspension of former deputy headteacher Linda Ross.
A tribunal into that case ruled the council did not follow its own procedures and “failed to comply with the basic requirements of natural justice” in its treatment of Mrs Ross, who was suspended from her position as deputy head teacher at Longhaugh Primary School following allegations she assaulted a pupil.
The judgment also stated that the education HR department which Ms Robertson was responsible for at the time had ignored “correct legal advice”, although the city council disputed this.
On Ms Robertson, the tribunal noted: “She indicated that this policy had been heavily criticised by the director of legal services, who fundamentally disagreed with it.
“Nevertheless,despite having received this correct legal advice, the HR department had decided to follow their inclination and disregard it.”
The tribunal ruled Mrs Ross had been unfairly dismissed by the city council and raised any compensatory award to her by 25% to reflect the council’s failure to comply with its own procedures.
Councillor Ian Borthwick, who was part of a separate three-man inquiry team investigating allegations made by Mrs Ross of problems with discipline and security at Sidlaw View Primary School in 2007, said the council had fallen “far short” of the standards expected of it following the tribunal case.
He added he found it “unacceptable” that Ms Robertson ignored advice from the council’s own legal department and said the behaviour of certain individuals had “cast a bad reflection on the city”.
Ms Robertson, who is the council’s corporate business support manager, has now been handed £78,716 for a new amalgamated role described as the head of human resources and business support.
The promotion brings her a 37% increase in her salary, which was £57,570 ayear.
The council claims the merging of the two posts and the appointment of Ms Robertson will result in net savings of £35,000 for this financial year and £73,000 in future years.
However, a senior figure with knowledge of the appointment told The Courier: “I am concerned that a high-profile job with a large salary was not advertised.I am sure that within the department there are plenty of others who would have liked to go for it.
“There is also an issue with her past.The public deserve to know that when people get high-profile jobs (like this) they are squeaky-clean.”
A Dundee City Council spokesman said: “We do not discuss individual personnel matters.”
Ms Robertson is expected to start her new role on August 1.