PICA employee goes to court to secure permanent appointment
Published:Thursday | October 24, 2024 | 11:42 AM
An employee at the Passport, Immigration and Citizenship Agency (PICA) has gone to court to press the agency to end her three-year probationary period.
Lisa-Marie Cochrane, an information security specialist level 7 at PICA, has filed a claim in the Supreme Court seeking an application for leave to go to the Judicial Review Court to get a declaration that the decision of the respondent to have her on probation for three years is in breach of the Staff Orders of the Public Service.
The respondent is Aleta Barclay, acting director of human resources at PICA.
Cochrane states that the stipulated period to be on temporary probation is six months.
She is asking the court to declare that the stipulated period is irrational, thereby rendering the said decision unlawful, null and void and of no effect.
Cochrane commenced temporary employment at PICA on August 3, 2021 as an information security specialist.
She outlined that at section 1.5 of the Staff Orders she was required to operate through a three-month probationary period.
She said a week before the three months expired, she was informed that the probation was extended to six months.
She completed the probationary period and states that she has met all the requirements for a permanent position.
She further states that she has not been appointed although she has a satisfactory performance evaluation and there is a clear vacancy in the position.
Cochrane contends that because she has not been appointed in the post, she is deprived of various employment benefits such as pension, allowances and other incentives.
A date is to be set for the application to be heard in the Supreme Court.
The claim was filed in October 19 and Cochrane is being represented by attorney-at-law Hugh Wildman.
- Barbara Gayle
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