Agenda and minutes

Venue: Chappell Room

Contact: Alec Dubberley  Service Manager Democratic Services

Items
No. Item

1.

Apologies for Absence and Substitutions.

Minutes:

Apologies for absence were received from Councillor Elliott.

2.

To approve, as a correct record, the minutes of the meeting held on 26 February 2019. pdf icon PDF 50 KB

Minutes:

RESOLVED:

 

That the minutes of the above meeting, having been circulated, be approved as a correct record.

 

3.

Declaration of Interests.

Minutes:

None.

4.

Sickness absence and trends. pdf icon PDF 254 KB

Report of the Service Manager, Organisational Development.

Minutes:

The Service Manager Organisational Development introduced a report, which had been circulated in advance of the meeting, informing the Committee of the current levels of sickness absence in the organisation and to examine trends.

 

RESOLVED:

 

To note the report.

5.

Current staffing issues pdf icon PDF 84 KB

Report of the Chief Executive and the Service Manager, Organisational Development.

Minutes:

The Service Manager Organisational Development introduced a report which had been circulated in advance of the meeting, giving information of interest about issues relating the Council’s workforce

 

RESOLVED:

 

To note the report.

6.

Minor staffing changes pdf icon PDF 89 KB

Report of the Service Manager, Organisational Development.

Minutes:

The Service Manager Organisational Development introduced a report which had been circulated in advance of the meeting, informing the Committee that there had been minor changes to the establishment agreed since the last meeting.

 

RESOLVED:

 

To note the report.

7.

Any other item which the Chair considers urgent.

Minutes:

None.

8.

Exclusion of Press and Public

To move that under Section 100(A)(4) of the Local Government Act 1972 the public and press be excluded from the meeting during consideration of the ensuing report on the grounds that the report involves the likely disclosure of exempt information as defined in Paragraph 4 of Part 1 of Schedule 12a of the Local Government Act 1972.

Additional documents:

Minutes:

RESOLVED:

 

That, the Members being satisfied that the public interest in maintaining the exemption outweighs the public interest in disclosing the information that under Section 100(A)(4) of the Local Government Act 1972, the public and press be excluded from the meeting during the consideration of the ensuing reports on the grounds that the report involves the likely disclosure of exempt information as defined in Paragraph 4 of Part 1 of Schedule 12A of the Local Government Act 1972.

 

9.

Buying of additional holiday.

Report of the Service Manager, Organisational Development.

Minutes:

The Service Manager Organisational Development introduced a report, which had been circulated in advance of the meeting, proposing to close the formal consultation on the proposal to introduce a new policy to allow the buying of additional leave, inviting comments from the Committee.

 

Members also considered additional documents, which were circulated prior to the meeting, containing consultation responses from UNISON.

 

The Committee heard from members of the UNISON Committee before making their recommendations.

 

RESOLVED to:

 

1)    Close the formal consultation on the proposal to introduce new policy allowing the buying of additional holiday and time away from work; and

2)    Recommend to the Appointments and Conditions of Service Committee that the Policy should be introduced subject to the following comments:

 

a)    The Senior Leadership Team should make it clear to Line Managers that any request to “buy” additional leave should be allowed wherever possible;

b)    Recommend that the suggestion to ensure requests are determined within two weeks is taken forward; and

 

c)    That the Senior Leadership Team should review any rejections for the purchase of additional leave at their weekly meeting to ensure that the policy is being consistently applied.

 

10.

Pay protection and Discretionary Payments

Report of the Chief Executive and the Service Manager, Organisational Development.

Minutes:

The Service Manager Organisational Development introduced a report, which had been circulated prior to the meeting, proposing to close formal consultation on proposals to vary current arrangements relating to pay protection and discretionary payments made for redundancy and “efficiency of the service” dismissals, inviting comments from the Committee.

 

Members also considered additional documents, which were circulated prior to the meeting, containing consultation responses from UNISON.

 

The Committee heard from members of the UNISON Committee before making their recommendations.

 

Councillor Thomas left the meeting at 7:15 pm

 

RESOLVED to:

 

1)    Close the formal consultation on the proposal to vary policy; and

 

2)    Recommend to the Appointments and Conditions of Service Committee that the policies should be amended as set out in the report subject to the following alterations:

 

a)    For redundancy the statutory payment should be made plus up to 50% of the discretionary amount;

 

b)    For dismissals for the reason of efficiency of service, the discretionary payment should be capped at up to 50% of the equivalent statutory redundancy payment; and

 

c)    That pay protection arrangements should apply at 100% for the first year, 50% for the second year and no protection thereafter.