Issue - meetings

Employment and Staffing Committee

RECOMMENDED THAT COUNCIL

consider and approve the updated Pay Policy Statement as required by the Localism Act.

Council

Agreed          To approve the updated Pay Policy Statement 2022, as required by the Localism Act.

Councillor John Williams explained that the Localism Act 2011 required that the Council had a pay policy statement to increase accountability, transparency and fairness in the setting on local pay and overall reward strategy. He stated that the pay gap ratio between the highest and lowest paid remained less than 1:8 and the Council had a minimum wage of £10 for its employees. The gender pay gap continued to favour women, with the mean hourly rate favouring female employees by 9.54%. The Council paid a pension contribution rate of 17%, which when added to the National Insurance increase in April, was a disincentive to employ new staff.

Councillor Heather Williams expressed her support for the recommendation in the report. She suggested that the figures could be analysed by removing the top and bottom pay figures.

In response to a query from Councillor Sue Ellington, the Chief Executive explained that the Returning Officer fee was not paid every year, but only when there was a District Council or General Election. There had been no district council elections held since she had joined the Council and she was unsure how much the rate was but noted that the rates had been agreed by all councils across the whole of Cambridgeshire and Peterborough.

Councillor Henry Batchelor stated that as Chair of the Employment and Staffing Committee he invited input from councillors on different ways in which the Committee could examine the Pay Policy Statement in the future.

Councillor John Williams proposed and Councillor Henry Batchelor seconded the recommendation in the report. By affirmation, Council

Agreed          To approve the updated Pay Policy Statement 2022, as required by the Localism Act.

The Head of Transformation, HR and Corporate Services presented the report. Members enquired as to whether the proportion of women in senior roles was obscuring the information on pay for women within the Council. The Head of Transformation, HR and Corporate Services agreed to offer Members clarity on the question at a later date. The Committee asked on whether the levels of pay equality were part of a wider trend in Local Authorities and the Head of Transformation, HR and Corporate Services stated that the gender pay gap was typically smaller in the public sector.

The Committee, by affirmation, recommended that Council approve the Pay Policy Statement.