Agenda item

This report will update the Committee on the progress with the pay and grade review and seeks agreement to the proposed new pay progression scheme.

Discussion:

This report provided details of the Pay Progression Scheme following the approval of the Pay and Grade Scheme at Full Council on 20 February 2014. The report set out the proposed Medpay Progression Award Scheme which had been subject to consultation, including meetings with the trade unions and workshops for employees. The report also included comments raised by trade unions and employees together with management responses and details of any subsequent amendments to the proposed scheme.

The Assistant Director, Organisational Services, updated the Committee on the issue of staff voluntarily accepting new contracts and of the 2,800 letters sent out, 94 staff were still being chased for a response, with four appeals against dismissal and five employees signing the new contract whilst wishing to retain the right to make a claim. She stated that whilst the trade unions remained against the principle of performance related pay, there had been negotiations with them on the scheme. She also referred to the employees workshops, the details of which were set out in Appendix 2 to the report (tabled at the meeting).

The Assistant Director, Organisational Services, informed the Committee that the assessment levels had been reduced from four to three as a result of the consultation process on the basis that level 4 (unsatisfactory performance) was already covered by the Capability Procedure. She stated that those employees on the top of the grade may now be able to receive a one-off payment if their performance was excellent and that Soulbury employees and Local Negotiation Framework Agreement (LNFA) employees would be included in the scheme. She also gave details of the training programme in place for managers.

The Committee discussed a number of issues including the following:

• Further information on the training programme.

The Assistant Director, Organisational Services, explained that the managers’ training programme would commence in May with a half day session to explain the scheme. This would be backed up with “espresso” training sessions and a second training session later in the year which would concentrate on undertaking employee assessments. Employees would be invited to attend briefing sessions on the scheme.

• The work of the Member level Pay Review Working Group.

The Assistant Director, Organisational Services, confirmed that the scheme took account of the views of the Working Group.

• The capacity of the organisation to successfully deliver the scheme.

The Assistant Director, Organisational Services, confirmed that the training arrangements were in place for managers to implement the scheme.

• The need for a review back to this Committee on the first year implementation of the scheme.

The Assistant Director, Organisational Services, confirmed that a report could be submitted to this Committee.

• The need to ensure that the scheme and its appendices were fully proofread before final publication.

The Assistant Director, Organisational Services, confirmed that the Scheme would be fully proofread before final publication.

Decision:

(a)   The Employment Matters Committee noted the comments from the trade unions and employees and the amendments made to the original proposals.

(b)   The Employment Matters Committee agreed the Medpay Policy Statement and Competency Schemes, as set out in Appendices 1 to 1C to the report to be implemented from 1 July 2014, once the training of managers has been undertaken.

(c)   The Employment Matters Committee agreed the implementation of a pay progression scheme related to performance for Soulbury and Local Negotiation Framework Agreement (LNFA) staff and delegate authority for the discussion on the detailed arrangements to the Assistant Director, Organisational Services.

(d)   The Employment Matters Committee agreed that a report be submitted back to this Committee reviewing the implementation of the Pay Progression Scheme after 12 months (July 2015).