Agenda item

Report of the Head of HR. 

The Head of HR submitted a report that enabled the Committee to consider and agree with the updates to the Probation Policy, Bereavement and Compassionate Leave Policy and the Flexible working hours scheme policy.  The recommendations of the JCC, which had been held prior to this meeting, were reported orally. 

It was moved by Councillor Phillip Black, seconded by Councillor Caroline Jackson and agreed as follows. 

Resolved: -

That, subject to the amendments detailed below, the Policies and Procedures be approved. 

Probation and Appointment Review Policy and Procedure

·                Section 1.1 - amendment to wording include “excluding Directors, the Head of Paid Services, the Monitoring Officer and the S151 Officer, “

·                Section 3.2 - first bullet point changed from job and person specification to job description.

·                Section 3.2 - to include to confirm in writing to the appointee the outcome of the Probationary/Appointment Review Period. 

·                Section 3.3 - first bullet point – amendment from guidance document to including links to the relevant forms on the intranet and also to add the words “Where a manager doesn’t have access to the intranet, hard copies can be sent out.”

·                Section 8.6 – amended to insert in the second sentence “The email will contain links to the intranet….” And add “Where an employee doesn’t have access to the intranet, hard copies will be sent out.”

·                Section 9.3, paragraph 9.3.1 – after the word “happen” add the words “no later than 2 weeks either side….”

·                Section 9.3.6 last bullet point – changed to say ”confirm the date of the Six-Month Review Meeting.”

·                Section 9.4, paragraph 9.4.1 - after the word “happen” add the words “no later than 2 weeks either side.”

·                Section 9.4.10 – change to “Where the employee has met the required standard and completed Probation/Appointment Review Form 3 – Six Month Review, the line manager will inform HR to write to the appointee to confirm the successful completion of their Probation/Appointment Review Period’.

·                Section 12.5 – Delete Senior Service Manager, to be amended to “Only Heads of Service” at the commencement of line 1, and the fourth sentence to commence with “The Head of Service…”

·                Section 13.2 – changed from writing to the HR Manager to the HR Department. 

·                Section 13.3 – changed from Service Manager to Director to reflect new job titles and to be in line with section 12.5. 

·                Section 15.0, paragraph 15.1, to insert “Automatic confirmation.  Where the probation period, including any extension, has expired, the employee will be deemed to have automatically and successfully passed their probation and their employment will be confirmed.  Previous paragraph 15.1 to be re-numbered to 15.2. 

·                Regarding the Policy in general.  Any referral to a Chief Officer has been changed to Director.  Any referral to Service HR Partner has been changed to HR.   Any reference to ‘job description and person specification’ to just ‘job description’ now that the council no longer has person specifications. 

Bereavement and Compassionate Leave Policy and Procedure

·            Section 2.1 – Definitions, to be amended with the following words added in the second sentence “Managers are however granted discretion to assess the circumstances and diversity of guardianship for example where a staff member may have been raised by grandparent, aunt/uncle, close family friend or another person classified as a guardian. 

·            Section 3.2, add the words “or close family friend or colleague.  The list is not exhaustive.” 

·            Section 3.3 insert, “Employees may also be granted additional leave with pay, for attendance at a funeral if the family member lives overseas.  The employee and line manager will agree the amount of leave needed, in line with the diversity of religious or cultural beliefs.” 

·            The previous section 3.3 to be re-numbered 3.4, with the following additional words “(Note: This can be a person of biological, legal or practical parental status).   Sections 3.5 to 3.9 re-numbered. 

·            Section 4.2 amend to “Heads of Service.”

·            Section 5.1 amend to “Head of Service.”

·            Section 5.2 amend to “Head of Service.”

·            Section 5.8 to be added as follows “If an employee is denied a request for bereavement or compassionate leave and the employee believes their circumstances are covered by the policy and could also be considered as an exception, then this must be raised by HR to the Director for review.”

Notes:  Fundamentally, changes were made to update the policy to reflect the introduction of Jack’s Law.  The Parental Bereavement Leave Regulations 2020 and the Parental Bereavement (Leave and Pay) Act 2018. 

Addition of a weeks’ statutory parental bereavement leave and pay in line with the new legislation (added to sections 3.2-3.8). 

Flexible working hours scheme policy

·                To amend Section 3 – The Flexitime Scheme as follows:

·        The earliest start time an employee can start work is 6.00a.m.

·        The latest time an employee can finish work is 10.30p.m.

·        The bandwidth of hours in any day is therefore 16.5 hours – however we do not recommend an employee works the full hours even with regular breaks.  The bandwidth is to support work life balance and caring responsibilities. 

·        Amend the carry over of hours in credit to 21 hours in credit and minus 21 hours. 

·        Add after “Time in excess of 21 hours”…..the words “could be forfeited….”

·                To amend Section 5 – Recording of Hours Worked, as follows:

·        In the first sentence after the word “service” the words “(a copy of Blank Flexi Sheet (6.00a.m. – 10.30p.m.) Mon-Sun, is available from Human Resources, or via this ..Intranet link). 

·        In the second paragraph, first sentence, at the end add the words “Flexi sheet.”

·                To amend Section 6 – Settlement Period, paragraph 6.1, as follows - Credit Hours to include “21 hours” in the first paragraph and add the words “, the excess may be forfeited.” at the end of the third sentence. 

·                To amend in Section 6.2 - Debit Hours, the carry over of hours in debit to 21 hours in debit.

·                To amend Section 11 – Overtime, bandwidth hours of 06.00a.m. and 10.30p.m. and that overtime will normally only be authorised for time worked before 06.00a.m. and after 10.30p.m.