, was granted permission to work from the other side of the world by her employer, a decision that is said to have left her colleagues 'furious'. Her trip was due to start in early October and end in early January. While some of the period is covered by annual leave and public holidays, she has been allowed to work the rest of the time from New Zealand. The body is facing severe financial pressures as a result of cuts imposed by the SNP government, with its £61 million budget due to fall to £48 million by 2026. The quango manages landmarks including Edinburgh Castle, with dozens of its properties closed to the public due to a lack of maintenance. 'Nobody else would even think about asking for this' 'Nobody else would even think about asking for this but while an economic meltdown is happening our finance director is allowed to go on holiday and work overseas,' a source told The Daily Record. 'She has every right to go on holiday but this seems to be over the top. She issued an email saying she was going but would be on leave and also working. Staff are furious about this preferential treatment.' Ms Steel has worked for HES since 2017, and has been employed by a series of Scottish quangos since the late 1990s. She was paid a salary of between £75,000 and £80,000 in 2020-21 and received a further £38,000 in pension benefits. Sharon Dowey, Scottish Tory MSP, said: 'It's extraordinary that a public official should be given this amount of leave to be on the other side of the world while Historic Environment Scotland's finances are in a desperate state.' Scottish Liberal Democrat finance spokesman John Ferry added: 'HES need to explain what benefit taxpayers are getting from the finance director's working holiday to New Zealand.' Sturgeon backs hybrid working While UK ministers have pus){kind=link}
As Historic Environment Scotland faces ‘financial meltdown’, its finance director gets permission to work from the other side of the world
The finance director of a Scottish quango facing a “financial meltdown” has been allowed to work from home in New Zealand.
Donella Steel, who works for Historic Environment Scotland (HES), was granted permission to work from the other side of the world by her employer, a decision that is said to have left her colleagues “furious”.
Her trip was due to start in early October and end in early January. While some of the period is covered by annual leave and public holidays, she has been allowed to work the rest of the time from New Zealand.
The body is facing severe financial pressures as a result of cuts imposed by the SNP government, with its £61 million budget due to fall to £48 million by 2026.