9 July 2024 - HR Committee
Minutes of an HR Committee meeting held on Tuesday 9 July 2024 at Ruskington Parish Office at 10.30am.
Present: Cllr C Bain (Chairman), Cllr AE Jennings, Cllr D Conway
Also in attendance: Kathryn Locke (Clerk to Council)
No members of the public or press were present.
The Chairman opened the meeting at 10.30am.
1. To receive and accept apologies where valid reasons for absence have been given to the Parish Clerk prior to the meeting.
All Councillors were present.
2. To receive declarations of interest and to consider applications for dispensations in relation to DPIs.
None were declared.
3. To approve as a correct record the notes of the last HR Committee meeting held on 10 June 2024.
Action: The Committee RESOLVED to approve the notes as accurate Minutes. Proposed by Cllr Jennings, seconded by Cllr Conway and approved unanimously.
The Chairman signed the Minutes.
4. To review the Staff Handbook and agree any recommendations, if required, for Council to consider.
The staff handbook was updated as Council approved policies. Amendments to the Whistleblowing Policy been made following review.
Action: The Committee RESOLVED to recommend to Council that the Staff Handbook be adopted with the amendments made. Proposed by Cllr Jennings, seconded by Cllr Conway and approved unanimously.
5. To resolve whether to exclude the public and press, in accordance with the Public Bodies (Admissions to Meetings) Act 1960, to discuss the following staffing matters.
Action: The Committee RESOLVED to exclude the public and press to consider the staffing matters below. Proposed by Cllr Conway. Seconded by Cllr Jennings and approved unanimously.
The Chairman closed the meeting at 10.33am. The meeting re-convened at 10.33am.
6. To receive an update on staff health and welfare.
The Clerk provided an update. Matters were improving and the relevant policy was being followed. The Clerk made the Committee aware of another area of concern for staff wellbeing. Methods for Council and the Clerk to manage this were considered.
7. To receive an update on sick pay arrangements for employees.
Information circulated prior to the meeting.
Cllr Bain had examined the current sick pay arrangements and researched costed alternative arrangements for the committee to consider.
Action: The Committee RESOLVED to recommend to Council that, with immediate effect, staff members on non-local government contracts, would be paid 50% of their wages from their first day of sickness absence. Time limits for sick pay would match those prescribed in the Green Book:
• During 1st year of service - 1 month’s full pay, and (after 4 months’ service) 2 months half pay
• During 2nd year of service - 2 months full pay, 2 months half pay
• During 3rd year of service - 4 months full pay, 4 months half pay
• During 4th & 5th year - 5 months full pay, 5 months half pay
• After 5 years’ service - 6 months full pay, 6 months half pay
Sick leave would be monitored and reviewed by the HR Committee. Proposed by Cllr Bain, seconded by Cllr Conway and approved unanimously.
8. To agree the date for the next committee meeting.
Date to be confirmed.
The Chairman closed the meeting at 11.12am.