Meeting documents

-       Policies to be considered

o   Adoption

o   Capability

o   Compassionate Leave

o   Emergency Time Off for Dependents

o   Maternity

o   Paternity

o   Sickness Absence (contractual sick pay)

o   Standards of Conduct

The Committee received a report from the Service Manager HR Policy and Projects – Sarah Welland, and Strategic Manager HR Practice – Sari Brice.

The following points were highlighted:

·      Mrs Welland apologised for the late submission of the report. It was suggested that, if necessary, a request be put by this Committee to the Executive or to the Chief Executive to ensure staff were adequately supported to meet deadlines. The Chair suggested that additional time be given to consider these policies, and all members indicated they were happy to proceed.

·       An overview was provided of Appendix 1 to the report that showed where policies differ significantly from the existing district policies:

Adoption Leave Policy - Contractual adoption pay issue had been excluded (also applicable to the maternity policy) which was still under consultation and would be reported to the Committee in due course. SCC pre-appointment entitlement will be maintained and therefore an enhanced provision was proposed by maintaining the SCC offer. Members welcomed the levelling up of provision for the new Somerset Council regarding adoption arrangements. It was confirmed that entitlement will begin from day 1.

The Committee agreed to accept this policy.

Compassionate Leave Policy – The proposed change would be favourable for district employees, as it proposed 10 days compassionate leave in a 12-month rolling period as standard entitlement with further provision under exceptional circumstances at manager discretion. Current SCC policy applies this leave to a near relative and to serious illness. There was a discussion around manager discretion.

The Committee agreed to accept this policy.

Emergency Time Off for Dependents – It is proposed to offer the statutory entitlement to a limited time of unpaid leave to deal with an emergency or unforeseen circumstances involving a dependent/s. The proposal will be a detrimental change for Sedgemoor employees where there is an additional entitlement. Trade unions had challenged this change and an agreement had been reached with the enhanced entitlement to compassionate leave. In addition, the proposed policy suggested managerial consideration of dynamic ways of working ahead of granting unpaid leave and this would apply to any person who relied on an employee for emergency care in the short-term which may cover a neighbour with no other means of support; an employee’s child sent home from school, with flexible working solutions used where possible to avoid the use of paid leave. It was asked if data was available on the number of Sedgemoor employees who had use the additional entitlement and it was noted that this had been requested but was not available, but a further request could be made. It was asked if the differing terminology used in district policies was causing comparison difficulties and it was stated that there had been contextual differences in how each district applies certain policies.

The Committee agreed to accept this policy.

Standards of Conduct Policy – It is proposed that there is no restriction on second jobs, which are currently not permitted at certain grades in two districts and there will be a requirement to declare second jobs and discuss suitability. It was asked if there was a policy for how employees with an unsuitable second job would be considered. It was explained this was included within the policy and if this (second job) continued to impact on the primary job, then performance measures would be taken. It was asked how a retained firefighter’s role would be considered and it was agreed that additional information would be provided after the meeting. It was stated that the Fire Service usually required a letter from the employees’ employer before appointment as a Retained Firefighter. It was noted that regarding the issue of Territorial Army Reserves, School Governors, and other voluntary work that the Council may wish to support, more information would be reported to the Committee.

The Committee agreed to accept this policy.

·       Capability and Performance Management Policy – It is proposed to remove the first level, recorded verbal warning, as recommended by ACAS. It was explained that the Recorded Verbal Warning can often be used incorrectly which causes confusion and issues will continue to be resolved informally if possible. The change was welcomed. It was explained there would be a requirement for clear written records at each stage on any capability and performance procedure and that formal capability proceedings would be conducted in a similar way to disciplinary proceedings. It was asked if there might be an increase in formal proceedings due to removal of verbal warnings and this was not thought to be likely.

The Committee agreed to accept this policy.

·       Maternity Policy – It was noted that this policy did not cover contractual maternity pay (as Adoption Policy above) and would be reported separately in due course. The proposal was to add to the current policy so that it included entitlement to neonatal leave which was likely to become statutory from 2023. It is also proposed to offer paid time off for those who are breastfeeding and/or expressing milk on their return to work. A Councillor asked if there would be a time-limit on this entitlement and if there were facilities to enable staff to breastfeed/express milk and it was noted that facilities were available in County Hall. It was stated that policies such as these were important to give employees choice and there was a request for gender-neutral language in all policies.

The Committee agreed to accept this policy.

·       Paternity Policy – The proposed policy would be an enhancement for all employees with the addition of entitlement of two paid antenatal appointments for either the father, second parent or other supporting adult. It was suggested this, and other entitlements should also be offered if an employee was joining a family, as well as starting a family. It was also suggested the term co-parenting be used in place of paternity, and to reflect a co-parent of either gender who was not the biological parent which could include civil partners and others.

The Committee accepted the use ofgender-neutral language, and subject to gender-specific amendments, the Committee agreed to accept this policy.

·       Sickness Absence (Contractual Sick Pay) – It was proposed that contractual sick pay entitlement be amended for the top three tiers to bring it in line with Green Book conditions. It was asked about the financial impact of this change, and it was noted that in general terms, the additional maximum costs were known and accepted by the Finance Director.

The Committee agreed to accept this policy.

The Committee agreed these new employment policies, noting they meet the previously agreed criteria, and approved their use in the new Somerset Council with effect from 1 April 2023.