Agenda item

Human Resources Employment Policies

Purpose:

To update the Performance and Appointments Committee relating to the writing of new employment policies for West Oxfordshire District Council (WODC), (“the Council”). No changes have been made to the employee terms and conditions, only to clarify and enable policies to be used concurrently with employee relations matters, giving clarity and usability to both employees and managers alike.

Recommendation:

That the Performance and Appointments Committee Resolves to:

Agree the eleven Employment policies below and included in Annex A.

· Agency Workers Policy and Procedures

· Career Break Policy and Procedures

· Carers Leave Policy and Procedures

· Death in Service Policy and Procedure

· Fixed Term Contract Policy and Procedure

· Mediation Policy and Procedure (including Mediation Agreement Form)

· Paternity and Neonatal Care Leave Policy and Procedure

· Pay and Grading Prinicples Guidance

· Redeployment Policy and Procedure

· Work Experience Policy and Procedure

· Working Abroad Policy and Procedure

Minutes:

The HR business partner introduced the report. They explained that the purpose was to approve 11 HR policies for the Council, and that these built on existing policies.

Members discussed these, raising the following points, including questions for clarity which were answered by the HR Business Partner and the Chief Executive;

· The changes would put the Council in good stead for Local Government Reorganisation and any future changes in employment law, as it ensured clarity within the policies.

· The policies were brought up to date under a previous exercise within Publica, and this particular exercise was about ensuring processes were appropriate now that employees were employed by the Council.

· Whether any members of staff resided overseas. It was explained that this applied to one member of staff, but that the Council was wishing to limit this.

Councillor Alaric Smith proposed accepting the recommendations. This was seconded by Councillor Duncan Enright.