Further to Minute 3 of the meeting held on 19 November 2020, the Assistant Director of HR and Organisational Development submitted a report, presenting the Committee with twelve Employment Policies which had been reviewed jointly and agreed with the Joint Trade Unions.  The following documents were attached to the report:

The Assistant Director of HR and Organisational Development requested that, following a discussion with Trades Union colleagues at the Joint Trade Union Committee held on 17 March 2021, the Grey Fleet Policy (Appendix L), be removed from the list for approval.  This would allow time for further work to agree the Policy with Trades Union colleagues to reflect feedback about how the policy would operate at a practical level.

The report explained that all employment policies would be reviewed by the Assistant Director of HR and Organisational Development and submitted to the Committee for approval in July 2021, following consultation and negotiation with the Joint Trade Unions.  The policies had been reviewed because they did not reflect current best practice or were out of date and hence put the Council at risk, were due to be reviewed in line with the two-year review schedule and had been updated with current job titles and gender-neutral language.  The remaining new and residual policies which required review would be brought forward for approval in July 2021.

The report confirmed that all employment policies would be reviewed every two years or sooner if legislation required it.

The process for agreeing the policies with the Joint Trade Unions was set out in a table and a communications plan had been put in place to communicate the revised policies to managers and employees.

Resolved:

(1)      That the following revised/new HR policies, as set out in in Appendices A to K attached to the report, be approved:

·       Equality, Diversity and Inclusion Policy;

·       Flexible Retirement Policy;

·       Learning and Development Policy;

·       Probation Scheme Policy;

·       Reimbursement of Expenses Policy;

·       Bullying and Harassment Policy;

·       Disciplinary Policy;

·       Managing Poor Performance Policy;

·       Managing Sickness Absence Policy;

·       Social Media Policy;

·       Flexible Working Policy;

(2)      That Appendix L, the Grey Fleet Policy, be amended, and following further consultation with Trades Unions, re-submitted to the Committee for approval at a later date.