Agenda

RECOMMENDED that the minutes of the meeting held on 14 June 2016

be confirmed and signed by the chair as a correct record.

The purpose of this report is to update Employment Committee about levels of sickness absence across the council and actions being taken to manage absence.

RECOMMENDED that Members

(i)            Continue to monitor sickness absence, and ensure appropriate management action is taken to address absenteeism.

(ii)          Note the findings from the Health and Wellbeing Survey and instruct Officers to continue to develop actions to improve the management of sickness absence and the promotion of employee wellbeing.

The purpose of this report is to provide members with the results of the recent Employee Opinion Survey (EOS) and seek approval from members for the proposed actions arising from the survey results.

Members are recommended to:

(i)         Note the results of the Employee Opinion Survey (attached at Appendix 1)

(ii)        Approve the action plan attached at Appendix 2

(iii)       Advise officers of any other areas where further analysis or research would be useful to the committee

The purpose of the report is to update members of the Employment Committee on the progress made in recruiting apprentices and to provide further information on the introduction of the Apprenticeship Levy, public sector targets and the financial implications for Portsmouth City Council.

RECOMMENDED that Members

    (i)        Note the progress in recruiting apprentices across the City Council

  (ii)        Note the requirements of the Apprenticeships Levy, the planned public sector targets and the financial implications of these

 (iii)        Place on hold the recruitment of apprentices from February 2017 in readiness for the introduction of the Levy from May 2017 thus enabling the City Council to make full use of the Levy from day one

 (iv)        Require Directorates to check eligibility for Levy funding with HR (Apprenticeships Officer) prior to agreeing any funding to support staff development thus enabling the Levy to support workforce development across the City Council.

This report is to update Members of Employment Committee on recently implemented and forthcoming legislation changes and any implications for the Local Authority.

RECOMMENDED

That the Committee notes the changes and any implications for the Local Authority.

That in view of the contents of the following item on the agenda the

Committee is RECOMMENDED to adopt the following motion:

“That, under the provisions of Section 100A of the Local Government

Act, 1972 as amended by the Local Government (Access to Information)

Act, 1985, the press and public be excluded for the consideration of the

following item on the grounds that the appendix and partially redacted appendix contain information defined as exempt in Part 1 of Schedule 12A to the Local Government Act, 1972”

The public interest in maintaining the exemption must outweigh the

public interest in disclosing the information.

Under the Local Authorities (Executive Arrangements) (Meetings and

Access to Information) England Regulations 2012, regulation 5, the

reasons for exemption of the listed items is shown below.

Members of the public may make representation as to why the item

should be held in open session. A statement of the Council’s response

to representations received will be given at the meeting so that this can

be taken into account when members decide whether or not to deal with

the item under exempt business.

(NB The exempt/confidential committee papers on the agenda will

contain information which is commercially, legally or personally

sensitive and should not be divulged to third parties. Members are

reminded of standing order restrictions on the disclosure of exempt

information and are invited to return their exempt documentation to the

Senior Local Democracy Officer at the conclusion of the meeting for

shredding.)

Item                                                                            Exemption Para No.*

9 - (exempt appendix and partially exempt appendix)         5

Paragraph Exemption No: 5

*5. Information in respect of which a claim to legal professional privilege could be maintained in legal proceedings.

This report is provided in response to the instruction from members at Employment Committee on 14th June 2016 to reconsider the committee's earlier decision not to pay the Living Wage at the rate recommended by the Living Wage Foundation.  

RECOMMENDED that

Members' instructions are sought as to which of the following options to adopt:

(i)            Continue to implement the recommendation agreed by members at Employment Committee on 15th December 2015.  This was to continue to pay the 2015/16 Living Wage Foundation rate of £7.85 per hour and allow the National Living Wage (currently £7.20 per hour but anticipated to increase in April 2017) to catch up

(ii)          Following the recent announcement on 31st October 2016 by the Living Wage Foundation, regarding the increase to the rate, to adopt the 2016/17 Living Wage Foundation rate of £8.45 per hour, with effect from 1 April 2017.