Agenda item

INFORMATION NOTE OF THE CORPORATE HUMAN RESOURCES MANAGER

To receive a presentation.

IT WAS AGREED:  That the Information Note entitled An Equal Pay Review be noted.

REASON FOR DECISION:  To enable the Committee to consider An Equal Pay Review.

The Corporate Human Resources Manager presented the Information Note entitled Equal Pay Review 2017 – Outcomes and drew attention to the following:

Equal Pay Review was looked at on a regular basis.

Equal Pay had been very stable for a number of years, and there was overall satisfaction that there were no significant inequalities.  Staff in minority groups or protected characteristics were earning the same or, in some cases, more than the comparison group, showing no disadvantages.

Results from the 2015 report, where it had been noted there had been a significant increase in the number of staff for whom there was no information on certain protected criteria.  Within the current payroll system, employees were able to input their own personal information if they so wished.  Staff were reminded that the facility was there, and were encouraged to use it, in order that fair treatment was implemented.  In some cases, any reasonable adjustments that may be required, could also be made.

Sixty six percent of NHDC employees were women, a high number, but typical of Local Government.

A Member questioned the report content, seeking clarification on whether part time staff were earning more than their full time colleagues and were she to assume that the full time people were apprentices (youngsters) and part-time employees more mature, (from late thirties/early forties) and on a different pay structure? As this would then beg the question as to why anyone would work full time if they could earn more by working part time?

The Corporate Human Resources Manager confirmed that a large number of NHDC staff worked part-time, and were more than likely to be earning at the top of their pay scale.  Newer employees joining the workforce on a full time basis, would start on a lower level of the pay scale.

Whilst shared parental leave was quite heavily publicised, the take up of men sharing maternity leave with women was still incredibly low.

The Corporate Human Resources Manager referred to 3.4 of the report confirming the stated age profile of the workforce at NHDC.  Apprentices were at that time, being recruited, which would improve the demographic of younger people joining the workforce.

Members of staff over the age of 65 had increased since the last pay review, but only by small numbers.  There was still a fairly attractive pension scheme in place and although a significant point of Employment Law, which had removed the default retirement age, those that could afford it, were choosing to leave as early as possible.

It was confirmed that the percentage of members of staff in the Council with a declared disability, be it temporary or otherwise, had declined to declare such. In answer to a Member’s  enquiry, the Corporate Human Resources Manager stated that staff were encouraged to report a disability.  Further stating, discussions had taken place in her department as to how to better educate employees on the understanding of disability criteria.

The Corporate Human Resources Manager explained to the Committee that Additional Responsibility Payments had been introduced many years ago.  A fair mechanism, applied equally to both men and women.  She stated, there had been an increase in the number of such payments currently being made, which reflected the insurance of appropriate reward for those taking on additional responsibility in terms of both workload and additional project work.

The Corporate Human Resources Manager informed the Committee that there was a working group gender pay gap in place. In terms of the starting salaries that had been offered to prospective employees, it was noticed that, women tended more to readily accept the bottom of the pay scale, whilst men regularly requested a higher grade starting salary within the pay scale.  Part of NHDC’s training programme was to educate managers on how to best to inform of the negotiability of pay, in order to offer a more level playing field.  Exploring through the language used, to attract gender equality and development skill on objective criteria.

IT WAS AGREED:  That the Information Note entitled An Equal Pay Review be noted.

REASON FOR DECISION:  To enable the Committee to consider An Equal Pay Review.