The Assistant Director of HR and Organisational Development submitted a report on the development of the Pay Policy 2019/20, in preparation for its submission to full Council on 26 March 2019.  A copy of the Pay Policy Statement 2019/20 was appended to the report.  The report stated that Local Authorities were required under Section 38(1) of the Localism Act 2011 (the Act) to prepare a Pay Policy Statement that articulated the Council’s policy towards the pay of the workforce, particularly senior staff and the lowest paid employees.

The Pay Policy Statement for 2019/20 had been updated as follows:

·         To reflect changes in job titles;

·         Addition of a requirement for the Assistant Director of HR and Organisational Development to approve all acting up and honoraria payments, in addition to the Assistant Director for the service area;

·         The new salary sacrifice schemes which were offered to all employees had been added;

·         New pay scales had been included which reflected the relevant national agreements.

The report explained that each local authority was an individual employer in its own right and had the autonomy to make decisions on pay that were appropriate to local circumstances and which delivered value for money for local taxpayers.  Section 40 of the Act required authorities, in developing their Pay Policy Statement, to have regard to any guidance that had been published by the Secretary of State.  This included Communities and Local Government guidance on Openness and Accountability in Local Pay and the Code of Recommended Practice for Local Authorities on Data Transparency (as amended).  The Act required Councils to produce a Pay Policy Statement annually that was accessible for council tax payers to be able to take an informed view of whether local decisions on all aspects of remuneration were fair.

Resolved –    That the draft Pay Policy 2019/20 be recommended to Council on 26 March 2019 for approval.