Agenda item

To update the Joint Staff Consultative Committee on the progress made in the last quarter completing HR work and projects and supporting people issues.

The Human Resources Services Manager presented the Information Note entitled ‘HR Update’.

Audio Recording – 14 Minutes 57 seconds

The HR Services Manager presented the Information Note entitled ‘HR Update’, including that:

·       Recruitment continued to be busy and there had been in an increase in applications compared to previous years as shown in 3.2 of the report, with more post successfully filled although there were some unfilled posts that had not yet been readvertised.

·       There had been a social media refresh with a new style advert, which highlighted key elements of the role and the benefits of working for the Council and current staff were encouraged to promote these on all social media.

·       There had been an increase of views of the job vacancies webpage and social media engagement, with an upcoming relaunch of the vacancies page.

·       Most leavers would recommend the Council as an employer.

·       The National Pay bargaining was still outstanding and there should be an update at the end of the October.

·       Flu Vaccines for those not eligible on the NHS can be claimed through expenses.

·       A successful pairing in the reverse mentoring scheme as highlighted in Insight, had led to another pairing.

·       The Inclusion group discussed Halo Collective, race discrimination and microaggressions. An action plan was developed and proposed to the Leadership Team covering a range of initiatives.

·       In August there was a peak in long term absences, many relating to stress, depression, and or anxiety.

In response to a question from Councillor Claire Strong, the HR Services Manager stated that:

·       There were various updates and articles on the intranet, and signposts for staff along with external support on the EAP site for stress, depression and anxiety.

·       Some of the absences through stress, depression and anxiety were not work related.

·       Staff are encouraged to return to work, which in many cases was a good environment for them to be in where there was support available.

·       A staff survey would commence shortly.

·       Mental Health First Aiders were now in place and should be available on site.

·       It was important for manages to recognise and respond to employee absences in a timely manner and to keep HR informed.

·       There was training for both employees and their managers around mental health that was provided by MIND and available on GrowZone.

In response to a question from Councillor Claire Strong, the Managing Director stated that:

·       The absences were a concern but were being monitored by the HR Team.

·       Work had commenced on a staff survey, with a section on wellbeing and how people were feeling.

·       It would be better to target and intervene at a point just before long-term sickness occurred and this had been highlighted as an area to identify and understand.

Councillor Elizabeth Dennis stated that:

·       There was an organisation called Centre for Mental Health that provided support for Council networks and Local Government employees.

·       Mental Health First Aiders were available on site to assist employees, but it may be worth seeing what other support and help was available, as work can often follow you home and employees should be given all the help and support needed to deal with challenges