Agenda item

Purpose of the report:

To outline Surrey County Council’s flexibility to engage workers, the risks and costs of these approaches and how the council promotes its employment rewards and benefits.

Declarations of interest:

None

Witnesses:

Rakhi Saigal, Strategic Business Partner

Key points raised during the discussion:

1. The Committee pointed out a few areas of additional information that it would have been useful for officers to have included within the report. Specifically, Members indicated that it would have been helpful for the report to provide background on the staff that fall into the seven categories of employees identified within the report. Information on the number of staff within each of these categories as well as the rate of turnover would have enabled the Committee to consider how different types of employee interact with the Council. Officers indicated that they would compile this information and send it across to the Committee following the meeting. Moreover, the Committee also indicated that more information on how benefits contribute to the retention of staff as well as specific roles identified as being hard to recruit or retain staff would also have been helpful.

2. Members highlighted that pension contributions to staff also make up a substantial element of the reward package offered by the Council and highlighted that this wasn’t reflected in the content of the report. Officers indicated that the HR Team was working to tie reward packages into total statement so that pension benefits that individuals receive on a yearly basis are demonstrated more clearly.

3. Discussions turned to the reasons why many people preferred to work through an agency rather than being directly employed by the Council. Members highlighted that the flexibility that working for an agency offered was a significant attraction for staff and the Council needed to be able to respond to this in order to reduce its use of agency staff. The Committee highlighted that promoting flexible (for example term time contracts) would help to make the Council a more attractive employer due to the large number of woman employed by SCC. Officers advised that that agency workers are entitled to terms and benefits of permanently employed staff after 12 weeks of working for the Council and that indicated that it was important to continue conversations with agency staff on why they chose not to become permanent employees if they have worked for SCC for a long time.

4. The Committee asked whether it was possible to buy out staff’s pension entitlements to could cut costs over the longer term. Officers indicated that they had previously taken legal advice on this and had been advised that it was not something that the Council was allowed to do.

Actions/ further information to be provided:

1. Officers to supply the Committee with information on the staff that fall into the seven categories of employees identified within the report as well as the number of staff and rate of turnover within each of these categories.

2. The People, Performance and Development Committee to be sent an update on a total reward package statement for staff and to consider how to evaluate how benefits contribute to the retention of staff especially for those roles identified as being hard to recruit to or retain staff in.

RESOLVED:

That the People, Performance and Development Committee note:

i.       the different types of working arrangements, models, costs and risks;

ii.      the promotion of Surrey rewards and benefits to staff and potential candidates; and

iii.     Surrey County Council’s plans to develop a total rewards statement for all staff.