Issue - meetings
Suggested discussion topics
Meeting: 28/01/2026 - Joint Staff Consultative Committee (Item 24)
24 SUGGESTED DISCUSSION TOPICS 
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To consider topics for discussion at a future meeting of the Committee.
Decision:
Members agreed two discussion topics on ‘Employee Retention and Recruitment in Times of Uncertainty’ and ‘Implications of the UK Supreme Court Judgement on Single Sex Spaces on the Workplace’.
It was also agreed that an update on the ‘Local Government Association Corporate Peer Review Follow Up’ would be provided at the next meeting of the Committee.
Minutes:
Audio recording – 34 minutes 51 seconds
The Chair led a discussion on future topics for the Committee to consider. The following Members took part in the discussion:
· Councillor Claire Strong
· Councillor Bryony May
· Councillor Daniel Allen
The following points were made as part of the discussion:
· Employee retention in times of uncertainty should be discussed in the context of Local Government Reorganisation (LGR).
· Employee recruitment in times of uncertainty should also be discussed as there may be undercapacity in some areas at the end of LGR due to the difficulties that it may bring.
· If stay interviews had been conducted with staff by the next meeting, then these should be covered.
· Until the Government had decided on the structure of LGR in Hertfordshire, it would be difficult to discuss redundancies.
· Siloed working in the Council and opportunities lost from this should be considered.
· Union membership at the Council should be reported on.
· Feedback from the Corporate Peer Review should be a topic for discussion at the next meeting.
In response to points raised in the discussion, the Chair advised that the Council had approximately an 8% recruitment gap compared to the 10% national average.
In response to points raised in the discussion, the Director – Resources advised that a report on the Corporate Peer Review Follow Up would be presented to Cabinet in February, and at a future staff briefing, and that any relevant discussions from those could be brought to this Committee.
In response to points raised in the discussion, the Human Resources Manager advised that stay interviews could be covered as part of a Discussion Paper on Employee Retention and Recruitment.
Members agreed two discussion topics on ‘Employee Retention and Recruitment in Times of Uncertainty’ and ‘Implications of the UK Supreme Court Judgement on Single Sex Spaces on the Workplace’.
It was also agreed that an update on the ‘Local Government Association Corporate Peer Review Follow Up’ would be provided at the next meeting of the Committee.