Agenda and minutes

There were no declarations of interest.

To approve as a correct record the minutes of the meeting of the Committee held on 3 September 2015.

RESOLVED that the minutes of the meeting held on 3 September 2015 be approved as a correct record and signed by the Chairman.

There were no urgent items of business.

To note the staff survey action plans progress to date.

The Chief Officer; Human Resources reported that the Council wide staff survey action plan included a number of short, medium and longer term actions to address the six key themes which had arisen from the results of the staff survey. A number of the short term actions had already been completed and the medium and long term actions were all in train.

It was RESOLVED that the Committee noted the action plan and progress to date.

To consider the reasons for and legal basis of the Council’s current severance policy and to present options for the future.

The Chief Officer; Human Resources stated that the report before the Committee set out the reasons for and legal basis of the Council’s current severance policy and presented options for the future.  In light of the continuing need to make budget reductions, there was a need to examine the policy on severance payments but also a need to ensure that future restructurings and redundancies were dealt with fairly and good employee relations maintained.

He stated that the severance policy had last been considered by Members in 2011. When considering the severance policy of other local authorities across the country, the Council’s 1.75 multiplier, was an average of what other authorities offered. This was considered to be a fair but not overgenerous policy.

Some members of the Committee felt that the current 1.75 multiplier was overgenerous and was not in tune with the commercial world or current economic climate. Other Members endorsed the 1.75 multiplier and stated that a measured approach was important.

The Chairman agreed to contact the Chief Executive to discuss the possibility of having an item on staff terms and conditions on a future Committee agenda. 

It was RESOLVED that the Employment Committee retain:

i)          the use of actual weekly pay levels for redundancy purposes

ii)         the policy of paying statutory weeks only to employees with immediate access to pension

iii)        the current x 1.75 multiplier of the statutory entitlement for employees with no immediate access to pension.

To note a potential legislative change in the governments approach to public sector severance payments.

The Chief Officer; Human Resources presented a report that brought to the Committee’s attention a potential legislative change in the governments approach to public sector severance payments.

It was RESOLVED that the Committee noted the report.

16 December 2015.

16 December 2015.

To consider the following motion:

That pursuant to Section 100A of the Local Government Act 1972, as amended, and having regard to the public interest, members of the public and press be excluded from the meeting for the consideration of the following items 10 & 11 which involves the likely disclosure of exempt information under the following category of Schedule 12A of that Act:

1)         Information relating to any individual.

3)         Information relating to the financial or business affairs of any particular person (including the authority holding that information).

RESOLVED that pursuant to Regulation 21 of the Local Authorities (Executive Arrangements) (Access to Information) Regulations 2000 and having regard to the public interest, members of the public and press be excluded from the meeting for the consideration of Item 10 and 11 which involves the likely disclosure of exempt information under the following category of Schedule 12A of the Local Government Act 1972:

(1)          Information relating to an individual (Item 10)

(3)        Information relating to the financial or business affairs of any particular person. (Item 11)

To consider a proposed redundancy which arises from the review of the Community, Learning and Skills Service.

The Committee carefully considered the report.

It was RESOLVED that the post holder identified in the Exempt Appendix A to the report be declared redundant with effect from 31 January 2016 in accordance with the terms set out in the Exempt Appendix A.

To consider proposed redundancies arising from the project to undertake a major enhancement of Coral Reef with the resulting closure to the public for approximately one year.

The Committee carefully considered the report.

It was RESOLVED that;

i)             approval be given to the deletion of the posts identified in the Exempt Appendix A attached to the report with effect from 31 January 2016.

ii)            subject to any redeployment opportunities offered to those affected, the post holders be declared redundant in accordance with the terms set out in the Exempt Appendix A attached to the report, with the costs being met from the Structural Changes Fund.