Agenda item

To consider the Council’s Proposed Pay Policy Statement which incorporates the annual Gender Pay gap data.

Mrs Linda Dutton, Head of Human Resources and Workforce Development, explained to the Committee that the Council had an annual statutory reporting requirement to agree a pay policy statement before 31 March, which was consistent with the guidance from the Ministry for Housing, Communities and Local Government. 

The Committee was advised that the proposed statement had been considered by the Corporate Leadership Team (CLT) at its meeting on 16 December 2020 and would be submitted to full Council on 10 February 2021 for final approval, subject to the recommendations of this Committee.

She added that the statement was identical to that approved last year with the exception of the introduction of the Exit Cap legislation, which had been introduced in November 2020. Mrs Dutton explained that if an employee left local government through redundancy or other severance means it could not cost the Council more than £95,000 including any pension contribution or it would breach the legal cap.

The Committee was informed that a number of judicial reviews had been lodged and were due to be heard in March 2021, but it was unclear what impact the outcome of those reviews would have on the payment cap level.

Mrs Dutton presented the Gender Pay Gap Report 2020, which would be published on the Council’s website once approved. The Committee considered the report, in particular the Gender Pay Gap data (section 3), which was based on a snap shot as at 31 March 2020. This had identified a mean pay gap of -0.77% and a median pay gap of -5.40%, which Mrs Dutton confirmed meant that on average female employees were paid slightly more than their male counterpart. She reported that the mean and median gender gap data had been consistent over the last four reporting years.

She added that nationally, on average male employees were paid 15.5% more. The quartile pay band data presented in the report confirmed that within the workforce, of which 60% were female, there was a good range of female employees across all levels within the Council. This was believed to be due to the Council’s family friendly policies, fair and transparent recruitment processes and access to learning and develop opportunities.

In response to a question from Councillor Taylor, Mrs Dutton advised that the comparison was against all national employers, the information relating to other Local Authorities data would only be available once each authority had published its Gender Pay Gap Report. However, the Council had fared very well last year and a similar result was expected this year.

Mr Towers reported on a further recommendation to seek delegated authority to the Chief Executive in his role as Returning Officer to set the election fees for staff, although this would remain a published decision. He explained that normally the Election Fees would be agreed by Full Council prior to a local Election, but for purpose of the Police and Crime Commissioner and possible By Elections this would allow the Chief Executive some flexibility to vary election fees due to annual uprating and potential role variations needed at short notice. Mr Towers added that any decision regarding the Returning Officer’s own fee would remain subject to Council approval.

Resolved:

1. To recommend Council to approve the proposed Pay Policy Statement as outlined in the report.

2. To recommend to Council to delegate to the Chief Executive in his role of Returning Officer, the revision of election fees to staff as set out in the report.