Agenda and minutes

To receive apologies.

Apologies for absence were received from Councillors Fairhurst, Lloyd, Noble, Saunders and Wade.

To confirm the minutes of the meeting held on 9 February 2016.

The minutes of the meeting held on 9 February 2016 were agreed and signed as correct records.

The committee will receive a verbal update on the terms and conditions project.

The terms and conditions review sought to develop a modern, flexible and attractive package, which would be competitive and clearly linked reward with performance.

The formal consultation for Phase Two of the review into staff terms and conditions had been concluded and the results discussed with Unison.

The majority of the concerns raised related to the introduction of performance related pay (PRP).  To address these concerns and to ensure that the performance review process would be robust enough to support the implementation of PRP, the Executive Board had decided not to progress the PRP proposals until further consultation had been undertaken with Unison and other models of PRP explored.  As a result PRP would not be introduced before April 2018 and would be subject to further consultation before being implemented.

Proposals relating to annual leave, redundancy, voluntary flexible benefits, and  death in service gratuity had been agreed with Unison and would move forward for implementation. Details of the policies would be submitted to future meetings of the Committee .

In response to questions raised the Committee noted that:

(a)             a level of protection for eight years had been built into the scheme enabling members of staff to freeze their existing benefits if the proposals were less beneficial  to the members of staff compared to their existing benefits;

(b)             new members of staff would be subject to the new terms of conditions; and

(c)             The Council had entered into a collective agreement with Unison so any matter agreed through this process was binding on Unison and non Unison members. The proposed changes to terms of conditions that had been agreed with Unison would therefore be introduced without the need for further consultation with individual members of staff.

The Committee received a report providing an overview of Section 38(1) of the Localism Act requiring local authorities to produce a Pay Policy Statement for 2016/17..

A separate Pay Policy Statement had been prepared for each Council and was circulated for review by the Committee.

RECOMMENDED to full Council  that the Pay Policy Statement for 2016/17 be approved and adopted.

The Committee considered a report setting out an amended Social Media Policy which gave greater emphasis on good practice and using social media to promote the Council’s work.

The Committee discussed the policy in detail and considered that the policy should be regularly monitored and reviewed to ensure that use of social media during work times were not abused.

RESOLVED that the policy as submitted be approved and implemented across East Hampshire District and Havant Borough Councils subject to the policy being regularly reviewed and monitored.

The Committee considered a report attaching a new code of conduct for staff across East Hampshire District Council and Havant Borough Council.

Members of the Committee were advised that if they had additional matters they wished to be considered for inclusion in the code of conduct to forward them to the Human Resources Team.

RESOLVED that the submitted policy be approved and implemented across East Hampshire District and Havant Borough Councils. 

The committee is asked to appoint one East Hampshire District Councillor from its membership to an EHDC Appeals Panel and one Havant Borough Councillor from its membership to a HBC Appeals Panel.

The Appeals Panels are used as appropriate to hear appeals against any officer who is appointed at Service Manager level or above for dismissal or stage two of the Grievance Procedure.

RESOLVED that:

(a)             Councillor Carter be appointed to the East Hampshire District Council’s Appeals Panel for 2016/17; and

(b)             Councillors Branson and Perry share the appointment to Havant Borough Council’s Appeals Panel for 2016/17.