Issue - meetings

The material relevant to this item is the report on pages 23 to 30 of the agenda and its appendix considered by the Cabinet at its meeting on Tuesday 8 January 2019.

The following recommendations were made by the Cabinet to the Council:

RECOMMENDATIONS TO THE COUNCIL

(1)  That the proposed New Reward Scheme (NRS) be adopted with effect from 1 April 2019 subject to receipt of the signed collective agreement from Unison.

(2)  That the budget allocation of £303,500 per annum to support the NRS, funded by the £300,000 annual budget that has previously been set aside to support the pay review, with the £3,500 shortfall added to the revenue base budget 2019-2020, be approved.

(3)  That the release of up to £360,600 from previously earmarked reserves to fund salary protection costs during the three-year period 2019-2020 to 2021-2022 be approved.

[Note In accordance with his previous declaration of interest (minute 53), at the outset of this item Mr J Ward (Director of Corporate Services) withdrew from the table reserved for the members of the Senior Leadership Team (SLT) to the public seating area for the duration of this item]

The Council considered the recommendation made to it by the Cabinet at its meeting on Tuesday 8 January 2019, as set out in pages 23 to 30 of the agenda report and its appendix for that meeting.  

Mr P Wilding (Cabinet Member for Corporate Services) formally moved the Cabinet’s recommendation and this was seconded by Mrs E Lintill (Deputy Leader of the Council and Cabinet Member for Community Services).

In presenting the Cabinet’s recommendation Mr Wilding said that CDC had used the current pay and grading structure for nearly 30 years. Over that time jobs and the wider employment market had evolved significantly, which had created staff recruitment and retention difficulties in certain areas or at certain pay grades. There was also the legal requirement to ensure equal jobs were rewarded with equal pay and this review would ensure CDC’s compliance therewith. Since the Cabinet had first considered a report setting out the available options in September 2016, a comprehensive review of all job roles had been undertaken. All job profiles (excluding Chichester Contract Services, which was on local terms and conditions) had now been rewritten and subsequently re-evaluated to ensure that CDC maintained a fair and consistent pay structure.The current pay and grading structure had also been reviewed, using independent benchmarking (taking into account local recruitment and retention factors) to highlight specific areas requiring attention. CDC officers and the external consultants had created a new proposed pay structure (appendix 1) which addressed all of the issues identified.

The impact on staff as a result of the proposed changes was as follows:

(a)  46% of staff would see an increase in total pay

(b)  42% of staff would see no change in total pay

(c)  12% of staff would see a reduction in total pay

Any members of staff who were negatively affected would be covered by CDC’s pay protection scheme, whereby any salary reduction would be phased in over a three-year period. During November 2018 formal consultation took place with staff representatives and Unison. A detailed statistical analysis of the proposal had been undertaken by Unison, which demonstrated that the revised pay and grading structure was well-balanced and complied with equalities standards. Unison had confirmed it would support the corporate pay review scheme. 

The Cabinet had previously agreed to set aside £300,000 per year to support the new pay structure; this estimate had been revised to £303,500 per year on CDC’s annual revenue budget. The release of up to £360,600 from previously earmarked reserves, covering the periods 2019-2020 to 2021-2022, was also being recommended to fund salary protection costs for staff who would receive a reduced salary, although this might not need to be fully utilised since if  ...  view the full minutes text for item 59

The Cabinet is requested to consider the agenda report and its appendix and to make the following recommendations to the Council:

(1)  That the proposed New Reward Scheme (NRS) be adopted with effect from 1 April 2019.

(2)  That the budget allocation of £303,500 per annum to support the NRS, funded by the £300,000 annual budget that has previously been set aside to support the pay review, with the £3,500 shortfall added to the revenue base budget 2019-2020, be approved.

(3)  That the release of up to £360,600 from previously earmarked reserves to fund salary protection costs during the three-year period 2019-2020 to 2021-2022 be approved.

RECOMMENDATION TO THE COUNCIL

(1)  That the proposed New Reward Scheme (NRS) be adopted with effect from 1 April 2019 subject to receipt of the signed collective agreement from Unison.

(2)  That the budget allocation of £303,500 per annum to support the NRS, funded by the £300,000 annual budget that has previously been set aside to support the pay review, with the £3,500 shortfall added to the revenue base budget 2019-2020, be approved.

(3)  That the release of up to £360,600 from previously earmarked reserves to fund salary protection costs during the three-year period 2019-2020 to 2021-2022 be approved.

[Note Immediately prior to the commencement of this item various CDC officers present for items on the agenda withdrew from the room for its duration, as intimated in para (1) in minute 631 above. The Senior Leadership Team, the Monitoring Officer, the two advisory officers mentioned below, and the two Democratic Services representatives remained.]

[Note In accordance with his previous declaration of interest (minute 630), at the outset of this item Mr J Ward (Director of Corporate Services) withdrew from the table to the public seating area for the duration of this item]

The Cabinet received and considered the agenda report and its appendix.

This item was presented by Mr P Wilding (Cabinet Member for Corporate Services).

Mrs J Dodsworth (Director of Residents Services) was in attendance for this matter.

Mr Wilding said thatCDC had used the current pay and grading structure for nearly 30 years. Over that time jobs and the wider employment market had evolved significantly, which had created staff recruitment and retention difficulties in certain areas or at certain pay grades. There was also the legal requirement to ensure equal jobs were rewarded with equal pay and this review would ensure CDC’s compliance therewith. Since the Cabinet had first considered a report setting out the available options in September 2016, a comprehensive review of all job roles had been undertaken. All job profiles (excluding Chichester Contract Services, which was on local terms and conditions) had now been rewritten and subsequently re-evaluated to ensure that CDC maintained a fair and consistent pay structure.The current pay and grading structure had also been reviewed, using independent benchmarking (taking into account local recruitment and retention factors) to highlight specific areas requiring attention. CDC officers and the external consultants had created a new proposed pay structure (appendix 1) which addressed all of the issues identified.

The impact on staff as a result of the proposed changes was as follows:

(a)  46% of staff would see an increase in total pay

(b)  42% of staff would see no change in total pay

(c)  12% of staff would see a reduction in total pay

Any members of staff who were negatively affected would be covered by CDC’s pay protection scheme, whereby any salary reduction would be phased in over a three-year period. During November 2018 formal consultation took place with staff representatives and Unison. A detailed statistical analysis of the proposal had been undertaken by Unison, which demonstrated that the revised pay and grading structure was well-balanced and complied with equalities standards. Unison had confirmed it would support the corporate pay review scheme. 

The Cabinet had previously agreed to set aside £300,000 per year to support the new pay structure; this estimate had been revised to £303,500 per year on CDC’s annual revenue budget. The release of up to £360,600 from previously earmarked reserves, covering the periods 2019-2020 to 2021-2022, was also being recommended to fund salary protection costs for staff who would receive a reduced salary, although this might  ...  view the full minutes text for item 634