Agenda item

To receive an update on HR Policies.

The Committee considered and discussed the report and sought and received assurance about the criteria relating to the carers leave policy.

The Committee agreed to:

• Amended wording in the reason for recommendations to note that there may be small financial costs/implication to this policy.
• To approve the carers leave policy as per amended wording.

• Defer the Home working policy until the next meeting.
• Defer the careers break policy until the next meeting.

The Chair invited Sarah Welland HR Policy and Projects who introduced the report.  She explained that Members were being asked to consider the report and approve the following policies below:

-       Carer’s Leave Policy

-       Home Working Policy

There was a discussion and members received reassurance on the following points:

-       The criteria of receiving carer’s leave.

-       The responsibility as an employer to initiate carer’s leave.

-       The potential for a small financial cost the council by approving the policy in regards potentially the need to recruit agency staff if a large number of staff in one team are to use the scheme.

-       Engagement and raising awareness of the scheme.

-       The number of Council staff who may have care responsibilities.

After discussing the policy and report the members of the HR Committee proposed that the wording be amended in the reason for recommendations to note that there may be small financial costs to by allowing this policy. Following the agreement to the amendments the committee agreed to formally approve the new Carer’s Leave Policy. Councillor Redman proposed and Councillor Chilcott seconded.

Sarah Welland introduced the second report to be approved which was the Home Working Policy. There was a discussion and Members raised the following points:

-       Clarification on the difference between an employee requesting to work from home via flexible working request and an employee who is contracted to work from home.

-       The number of employees who are contracted to work from home and have their home as their work base. This is only three employees in Somerset Council.

After these points were raised it was agreed that the home working policy be deferred until the next meeting due to take place on 10 July.

Sarah Welland continued on with the report which included a number of policies for information only. The Committee were asked to note the following reports:

-       Volunteering Policy

-       Reservists Policy

-       Career Breaks Policy

-       Relocation Policy

There was a discussion around the four policies and Members received reassurance on the following points:

-       The increase in numbers of staff utilising volunteering.

-       Improvement of engagement in volunteering.

-       The payment reservists receive from the army.

-       The inclusion in the policy of on call firefighters, coast guards and other on call emergency staff that may work for The Council.

-       The use of relocation packages for hard to recruit posts.

-       How the relocation package compares to other local authorities and private sector organisations.

-       How to attract staff to Somerset Council

-       The comparison of our career break policy to other local authorities

-       The support offered to the employee to return to the workplace.

RESOLVED. The Committee noted the Volunteering, Reservists, Career Break and Relocation Policies.