Agenda and draft minutes

Members are asked to declare any interests in the items under consideration and in doing so state:

(1) the type of interest concerned either a

(a)   personal interest

(b)   prejudicial interest

(c)    disclosable pecuniary interest (DPI)

and

(2) the nature of the interest concerned

If any member requires advice on declarations of interests, they are advised to contact the Head of Democratic Governance in advance of the meeting.

There were no declarations of interest.

Resolved: That under Section 100 (A) of the Local Government Act 1972, the public be excluded from the meeting during consideration of agenda item 3 on the grounds that they would involve the likely disclosure of exempt information as defined in paragraph 1 of Part 1 of Schedule 12A of the Act.

To consider and determine a request for a review of the decision of the Council not to uphold a grievance submitted by an employee.

The Committee considered a request to review the decision of the Council not to uphold a grievance submitted by an employee.

Mrs J Roberts, Employee Relations Team Manager, and Mrs S Davies, Legal Adviser, were in attendance to advise the Committee on policy and procedure only and had taken no part in the original decision. Also in attendance was Mrs J Cook, Clerk to the Committee.

The relevant Head of Service and the Employee Relations Adviser presented the case on behalf of the Authority and the Appellant presented their case.

The Committee acknowledged the representations put forward by both parties and also noted that the Appellant wished to focus on the issue submitted as ‘Complaint 1’ in their original grievance which was in relation to perceived discrimination from management following changes to staffing provision and rotas. The Committee considered the concerns that the criteria under which the changes had been made had not been properly communicated and the information that the Appellant had provided in relation to their opinion of the costings that had been undertaken.

The Committee had regard to the points raised by the Appellant in relation to arrangements made for and between employees in respect of locations of work, starting points and travel arrangements and noted that those issues raised were being investigated by the relevant managers.

After carefully considering all the evidence before it and after questioning the Appellant, the relevant Head of Service and the Employee Relations Adviser, the Appeals Committee was satisfied that that the Authority’s procedures had been followed and that the decisions taken had been fair and reasonable.

The Committee did not uphold the grievance and did not accept that the actions that the Appellant had requested should be implemented. However the Committee made three more general recommendations in respect of access to decision making processes, an offer of mediation and a review of arrangements in respect of locations and starting points.

RESOLVED:

To dismiss the appeal and uphold the officer’s decision taken within the Council’s Employee Complaints (Grievance Procedure) on the grounds that the Authority’s procedures had been followed and the decision taken had been fair and reasonable.

To note the date of the next meeting as 11 March 2024.

The date of the next meeting was confirmed as 11 March 2024.