Directorate for Lifelong Learning and Skills staff maternity leave: FOI release

Information requested

1. Can you tell me the number of employees within the Directorate for Lifelong Learning and Skills, that took a period of maternity leave between the following dates, May 2022 to May 2023?
2. Can you tell me what the maternity leave policy is, in the Scottish Government.
3. Can you advise me of the dates that the Scottish Government began its freeze and placed restrictions on recruitment?
4. Can you tell me if these restrictions are still in place, if not when were they removed?
5. Can you please explain what the recruitment restrictions are in detail?
6. Can you please explain what the policy is for back filling employees posts who are on maternity leave, whilst the Scottish Government are in a period of restricted recruitment (recruitment freeze)?

Response

Response to Question 1 and 2:

There were 7 employees in the directorate for Lifelong learning in Skills as at 31 May 2023 who took a period of Maternity leave between May 2022 and May 2023.

Please see maternity leave policy attached.

Response to Question 3, 4 & 5:

We proactively manage workforce size to remain fiscally sustainable, aligning with our support for wider public sector reform and to our Programme for Government commitments. This is achieved through prioritisation, effective vacancy management, recruitment controls and adapting to changing needs, however there is not currently, and hasn’t been, a recruitment freeze in operation across the Scottish Government.

There are no restrictions in place.

Response to Question 6:

There is no recruitment freeze in place across the Scottish Government, therefore the need to backfill maternity leavers will be decided by local management and approved via existing resourcing policy governance.

About FOI

The Scottish Government is committed to publishing all information released in response to Freedom of Information requests. View all FOI responses at http://www.gov.scot/foi-responses.

FOI 202400402387 - Information Released - Leave Policy

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