| Time: | 3.00pm | Place: | Committee Room 1, Council Offices, Gernon Road, Letchworth Garden City |
| PRESENT: | Councillor Mrs A.G. Ashley (Chairman), Councillor Judi Billing, Councillor Fiona Hill, David Carr (Unison), Mrs D Levett (Unison) and C Corr (Staff Consultation Forum). |
| IN ATTENDANCE: | Strategic Director of Customer Services Corporate Human Resources Manager Employee Relations Officer Committee and Member Services Officer |
| ALSO PRESENT: | |
| Meeting attachment |
Agenda Front Pages |
| Item | Description/Resolution | Status | Action | |
| PART I | ||||
| 1 |
APOLOGIES FOR ABSENCE Apologies for absence were received from Cllrs Lovewell and Needham, the Learning and Development Manager and Chris Carter. Councillor Fiona Hill advised that she would have to leave the meeting at approximately 3.30pm. The new Chairman, Cllr Allison Ashley, introduced herself and asked everybody present to also introduce themselves. They did this, going round the table. |
Noted | ||
| 2 |
MINUTES Minutes It was agreed that the Minutes of the JSCC meeting held on 26 March 2014 be confirmed as a true record of the proceedings and be signed by the Chairman. |
Agreed | ||
| 3 |
NOTIFICATION OF OTHER BUSINESS No other business was put forward for discussion at this Meeting. |
Noted | ||
| 4 |
CHAIRMAN'S ANNOUNCEMENTS The Chairman welcomed all Members and officers to this meeting of the Joint Staff Consultative Committee, the first one in the Civic Year 2014/2015. She then read out the following statement: ‘Members were reminded that any declarations of interest in respect of any business set out in the agenda, should be declared as either a Disclosable Pecuniary Interest or Declarable Interest and they are required to notify the Chairman of the nature of any interest declared at the commencement of the relevant item on the agenda. Members declaring a Disclosable Pecuniary Interest must withdraw from the meeting for the duration of the item. Members declaring a Declarable Interest which requires they leave the room under Paragraph 7.4 of the Code of Conduct, can speak on the item, but must leave the room before the debate and vote.' |
Noted | ||
| 5 |
STAFF CONSULTATION FORUM SCF Minutes 2.4.14 SCF Minutes 7.5.14 SCF Draft Minutes 4.6.14 The Corporate Human Resources Manager (CHRM) referred the JSCC to the Minutes of the meetings of the Staff Consultation Forum (SCF) held on 2 April, 7 May and 4 June 2014, for details of the meetings, actions taken and the items carried forward. The CHRM provided a summary of the main updates from each meeting as follows: 2 April 2014 She referred to Item 4 on Green Issues/Ideas and the possible car lease scheme to be offered to all staff, which was still in the very early consultation stages. Under NHDC Update which was a regular standing item, the Forum were reminded of the Council's Priorities for the District 2014/2015 and the key findings of the District Wide Survey 2013. Lastly, under Any Other Business, the Committee were reminded that any suggestions, comments or ideas regarding Office Accommodation could be submitted through the SCF representatives on the Office Accommodation Working Group. 7 May 2014 The CHRM reported on Matters Arising from the Previous Minutes and quoted a response from Property Services to a question on a water cooler for the 2nd Floor. SCF Meeting Dates were discussed, with a request to change the regular day of the week for the monthly SCF meetings. After some discussion, it was agreed that other options would be examined and this problem would be brought back to the next SCF meeting. The Forum was informed that there were now electric car charging points in the multi-storey car park, one for NHDC staff and contractors on the ground floor and one for the general public on the 5th floor. The Waste and Recycling Department had been nominated for Public Sector Recycler of the Year, alongside the University of Reading and Network Rail. The SCF had been updated that this service recycled 57% of all waste collected and was the lowest cost service in Hertfordshire. Under NHDC Update, the CHRM touched on the fact that the North Herts Museum project had been awarded approximately £1m from the Heritage Lottery Fund, which would reduce the cost to NHDC. The Strategic Director of Customer Services (SDCS) mentioned that Unison was likely to ballot for industrial action in June over pay bargaining. Employee Queries included the complaint about the lack of cleanliness in the female toilets on 4th floor of DCO, and the fact that all such complaints should be reported to Property Services in the first instance. And finally an enquiry regarding when employees would be receiving their Pension Scheme opt-out letters resulted in the information that employees would need to contact the pension scheme provider themselves. 4 June 2014 (Draft) An update on the days on which to hold future meetings, informed the Forum that SCF meetings would continue to be held on Wednesday afternoons each month and where representatives were unable to attend, substitutes would be permitted. Those present were also told that a lot of information on pensions and opting out was to be found on the Council intranet. Under MSU Restructure, a change in terms and conditions for a member of the management team had resulted in the necessity for a minor restructure. Kate Brierley had addressed the SCF on Green Issues which had been established at NHDC, namely the solar tube lighting on the first floor and the electrical recharging points for vehicles in the multi-storey car park - one for Council vehicles on the first floor and one for the general public's vehicles on the fifth floor. Under Investors in People, the Committee were advised that staff to be interviewed had been chosen by the assessor, ready for the start of the week-long assessment. With regard to the new Payroll Service, staff had been issued with their usernames and passwords, ready to begin using the system. From June onwards the self service system would be in general use. Strike action was possible on 10 July as a result of stalemate over the pay negotiations, and Maggie Williams was on the Start Up Group working towards the lease car scheme through Salary Sacrifice. This was likely to take quite a long time, and staff would be updated in due course. Finally, staff would be informed, via briefings, of the details and progress of the Office Accommodation project. It was agreed: That the information provided in the above sets of Minutes of the Staff Consultation Forum be noted. |
Noted | ||
| 6 |
PEOPLE STRATEGY UPDATE Report The Corporate Human Resources Manager (CHRM) presented the Committee with the latest quarterly update on the progress made to the People Strategy 2011-2015 Report, which also incorporated the Council's Workforce Development Plan. She informed the Committee that the last three months had been very busy, due to the transition to the new outsourced payroll service from 1 April 2014. Employee and Manager Self Service had been launched on 1 June and 25 members of staff had been trained as Payroll Champions. Serco had held several workshops to inform staff. In addition, issues in Human Resources (HR) with staff members leaving and with maternity leave had exacerbated problems. The Committee were updated that the Learning and Development Manager would also be leaving the Council in July 2014. The CHRM confirmed that the Investors in People reassessment had taken place and feedback had been very positive. Standards had been exceeded in most areas and constructive comments had been made regarding investment in training and development. A synopsis was to be given at the Senior Managers' Team meeting on 26 June and a full report would be published later on. She ran through the implementation of projects for a new online recruitment system, the Pension auto enrolment, the new Local Government Pension Scheme regulations, accreditation to the Public Sector Network and the Baseline Personnel Security Standard. The Committee were reminded that all appraisals should be completed by 31 July 2014 and an updated figure would be given in the next report of the People Strategy Update. Turnover figures had gone down to just over 10%. For Sick Absence, the target for 2014/2015 had changed to 3.5 days per person for short-term absence. The Chairman thanked the CHRM for the report and congratulated those concerned for the excellent result of the Investors in People assessment. It was agreed: That the progress against the People Strategy and HR People Strategy Work Plan for 2014/2015 be noted. REASON FOR DECISION: To support the achievement of the Authority's key priorities. |
Noted | ||
| 7 |
PENSIONS AND NATIONAL PAY BARGAINING UPDATE Update The Corporate Human Resources Manager (CHRM) went through the National Pay Bargaining section of the report and stated that this would be another difficult year. In the Unison ballot 58.7% of respondents had voted in favour of strike action on pay and 41.3% against. The national union would publish the next steps, and the employers were disappointed. No pay increase would be resolved until after the dispute was over. On the subject of Pensions, the CHRM declared that a new Career Average Revaluated Earnings (CARE) Scheme had started on 1 April 2014 and extensive communications had been carried out. Pensions experts were available to give individual assistance if necessary. She ran through the processes of Auto Enrolment, which was periodically repeated, and of opting out, and then reminded the Committee of the 50/50 option, where 50% of contributions paid in would result in 50% of pension benefits accrual. This option was for those who might find it difficult to pay full contributions. The Chairman asked whether staff who had been auto enrolled could stay in the scheme. The CHRM confirmed that it was hoped that people who were enrolled would decide to stay in the Scheme. A Member asked whether the CARE scheme affects those who were in it. She was informed that the scheme changes, but the pre-2008 period was protected, as was the period from 2008-2014. There were three different schemes to consider, which made it very complex. However, the London Pensions Fund Authority had a very good online calculator which would give an immediate update to those who wanted it. It was agreed: That the Pensions and National Pay Bargaining Update be noted. |
Noted | ||
| 8 |
DISCUSSION TOPICS Discussion paper A Discussion paper B A - EMPLOYMENT TRIBUNALS The Employee Relations Officer (ERO) presented the Discussion Paper on Employment Tribunals. She went through the background, as set out in the discussion paper. Up to 2012, an employment tribunal was comprised of three people, an employers' representative, a judge and a trade union representative. Since 2012, a large amount of employment tribunals are held before an employment judge sitting alone, to cut costs, save time, etc. There was a sliding scale of fees: £160-£230 to submit a claim; £230-£950 for a tribunal sitting. This process was in place to prevent malicious cases. The Committee were advised that claims had significantly decreased since this charging was introduced. In fact there were 79% fewer claims per annum since the process had been introduced. Councillor Hill left the Joint Staff Consultative Committee Meeting at 3.35pm. If an early conciliation process under the auspices of the Advisory, Conciliation and Arbitration Service (ACAS) failed, a hearing would be held, where applications from the claimant and respondent would be considered, previously submitted witness statements would be ‘taken as read' and after cross-examination a decision would be made. The options of reinstatement and re-engagement were very rare due to working relationships having broken down, and the amount of compensation depended on the successful claim, and would include interest if compensation was not paid quickly. Whilst it was possible for huge payments to be made, in reality the average compensation awarded was relatively low, around £2,600. The ERO stressed that Human Resources managers and Learning and Development teams worked hard to treat employees fairly, in an effort to avoid employment tribunals. An employment tribunal has a significant impact. Even when the case was won, the costs and time involved were very significant. A Member commented that employers nearly always won, in these cases. The ERO replied that employees who have the backing of a Union tend to fare better than those who represent themselves. The Chairman asked for a rough timetable of an employment tribunal and the ERO and CHRM ran through the whole process, from the original application, through the hearing to the resolution process, either including ACAS or without it. It was emphasised that some hearings can take up to five days (e.g. equalities issues or constructive dismissal). The Chairman thanked the ERO for presenting this Discussion Paper. B - STAFF SATISFACTION SURVEY The Corporate Human Resources Manager (CHRM) introduced the item on the Staff Satisfaction Survey and explained that it had proved invaluable to show patterns. The Staff Survey was to be published and distributed to all NHDC staff in the near future. The Committee were informed that for confidentiality reasons, survey findings were by the organisation as a whole, by directorate and by service, but only where there had been 10 or more responses. To ensure that individuals could not be identified, employees' individual comments had been removed from the service results. Out of the main points, those picked out as worthy of extra emphasis were: - 62% of respondents rated NHDC as one of the best places to work; - Staff were most concerned about opportunities for career progression; - Over 60 staff made suggestions as to how the forthcoming office accommodation reorganisation could improve the working environment for NHDC staff; - ‘Friendly colleagues', ‘working hours' and ‘interesting work' were the job factors that most satisfied staff at work; - A 17% increase in job security satisfaction was the greatest change, as in 2012 this had been the largest decrease in job satisfaction. This was a similar response to the results of the Investors in People assessment. 68% of staff had responded, a similar result to 2012. Finally, the Committee were informed that small teams may be put together, and incentives (e.g. gift vouchers) offered to complete the Survey. Service level results would be cascaded down. The Strategic Director of Customer Services left the Joint Staff Consultative Committee Meeting at 3.51pm. |
Noted | ||
| 9 |
SUGGESTED DISCUSSION TOPICS List of discussion topics Instead of choosing a topic from the remaining four subjects, the Committee agreed that the next subject would be chosen from a new list, which would be distributed with the next Agenda in September 2014. |
Agreed | ||