31 Consultation on revised HR policies to support the South & East Lincolnshire Councils Partnership alignment of Terms and Conditions PDF 166 KB
To consult Policy Development
Panel members on revised HR policies to support the South &
East Lincolnshire Councils Partnership alignment of Terms and
Conditions (report of the Assistant Director –
Corporate).
Additional documents:
Minutes:
Consideration was given to the report of the
Assistant Director – Corporate which consulted with the
Policy Development Panel on the policies prior to their planned
implementation.
The Assistant Director – Corporate and
the Head of HR and Organisational Development (PSPS) were in
attendance for this item. Councillor Chris Brewis attended as a
consultee but not as a member of the committee.
The Assistant Director – Corporate
introduced the report which included the following:
- Context of the alignment of
workforce terms and conditions of employment;
- Phase 1 consultation activities
undertaken to date (alignment was to be implemented in
phases);
- The following complete policies
relating to the phase 1 consultation:
- Time Off Policy at Appendix A;
- Long Service Awards Policy at
Appendix B; and
- Absence and Sickness Policy and
Procedure at Appendix C;
- A summary of the phase 1 terms and
conditions being consulted on was outlined at point 2.4 of the
report;
- Implementation of the phase 1 terms
and conditions alignment was planned to take place from 1 November
2024; and
- A consultation process would follow
for phase 2.
Members considered the report and made the
following comments:
- Members stated that the alignment of
the terms and conditions of employment demonstrated that the
partnership authorities were progressing with their alignment
ambitions in a positive way.
- Members asked how the long service
awards compared with non-local authority employers.
- The Head of HR and Organisational
Development (PSPS) responded that whilst long service awards varied
widely across public and private sector employers, such awards were
common practice and expected within local government. A related
framework had been in existence at SHDC however this would be
replaced with the aligned Long Service Awards Policy which had
incorporated the ‘best of’ existing terms from the
three authorities.
- Members noted a duplication within
the report which required correction prior to further
publication.
- Regarding long service awards,
members asked whether length of service was transferable across
local authorities.
- The Head of HR and Organisational
Development (PSPS) confirmed that length of service, for a long
service award, did not take into account service at authorities
outside of the partnership.
- Members queried the remuneration
policy for successful completion of professional exams.
- The Head of HR and Organisational
Development (PSPS) responded that:
- The council’s qualifications
commitment was included within ‘study provisions’
rather than written within a policy.
Any approved study would be subject to conditions which included a
staged payback of course/qualification fees to the authority should
the employee leave within a set period of time; and
- There would be consideration to a
different scenario of imposed study which may include
exceptions.
- Members queried resource/capacity
implications, benefits, and any associated financial impact
resulting from the career break policy.
- The Head of HR and Organisational
Development (PSPS) responded that:
- A policy in respect of career breaks
was already in existence across the other authorities in the
partnership;
- The focus of the policy was
retention of staff;
- Career break approvals were at the
discretion of management and included the consideration of service
...
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