Pay Policy Statement

Remuneration of the Chief Officers

Remuneration covered in this section of the policy

This section covers the council’s policies in relation to the remuneration of its senior employees.

• Chief Executive, as Head of Paid Services
• Director of Communities, Director of Corporate Services (Section 151 Officer), Director of Housing & Regeneration and Director of Environment & Operations
• Assistant Director, Corporate Services (Deputy Section 151 Officer)
• Assistant Directors & Service Managers who report to Directors

Overall policy on remuneration for senior roles

The council’s overall approach to remuneration for its senior employees is based on:

• compliance with relevant employment legislation including equal pay and discrimination, and
• ensuring that its remuneration package for senior roles mirrors the overall pay policy for the council resulting in a fair and equitable system.

The council maintains its overall approach to remuneration by remaining within the National Joint Council for Local Government Services (NJC) pay scheme and applying nationally negotiated pay awards to its pay framework.

In terms of pay differentials the council recognises that the role of Chief Executive leads the organisation’s workforce and has the greatest level of accountability, and so warrants the highest pay level in the organisation.

The remuneration offered to senior employees

The council has a local pay framework based on national pay rates with nationally negotiated pay awards which are applied to all salary grades.

At senior officer level the council offers an annual salary, access to the Local Government Pension Scheme (LGPS) and a range of other benefits as detailed below.

Annual Salaries

Service Managers and above also receive an additional market forces allowance. Originally linked to the requirement for officers to use their own car to carry out their role this allowance was retained in 2006 to ensure that salaries in grades SO1 and above remained competitive within the local market.

Remuneration of senior employees on recruitment

The council’s policy is that any newly appointed employee, including senior employees, will commence employment at the lowest pay point possible in the pay scale for their role taking account of their current remuneration, business need, difficulty in recruiting to the post and/or the experience offered by the potential employee.

The decision on which pay point to appoint a Service Manager, Assistant Director or Director will be the responsibility of the Chief Executive.

The appointing salary of the Chief Executive will be agreed by the appointments panel or the Chair of the appointments panel if negotiations are required.

Pay Progression

Employees may progress to the salary range maximum of their grade subject to satisfactory performance within the performance management framework which includes the annual performance appraisal process. This is equally applicable to the chief executive and to the lowest paid employees.

Pay Awards

When agreed NJC pay awards are applied across all pay scales, including those of senior officers. They are also applied to the market forces allowance and lease car/cash alternative allowance.

Local Government Pension Scheme (LGPS)

The council offers senior employees’ access to the LGPS in accordance with the statutory provisions of the scheme, on the same basis as all of its employees. Any pension payments made to its senior employees on termination of employment either on grounds of redundancy, in the interests of the efficiency of the service or on grounds of ill health will be made within the statutory terms of the LGPS.

The contribution rate for each participating employee who joins the scheme is contained within Section five ‘Policies common to all employees’.

The discretions which the council is able to apply under the scheme upon termination of employment are the same for senior employees as for all other employees who are LGPS members and are contained at appendix one.

Payments on Termination of Employment

Other than payments made under the LGPS, the council’s payments to senior officers whose employment is terminated on grounds of redundancy will be in accordance with the policy the council has adopted for all its employees in relation to the Local Government (Early Termination of Employment) (Discretionary Compensation)(England and Wales) Regulations 2006, as set out in Section five ‘Policies in common to all employees’.

Other than payments pursuant to the LGPS (including the exercise of the council’s discretions) or payment in accordance with the council’s policies under the Local Government (Early Termination of Employment) (Discretionary Compensation)(England and Wales) Regulations 2006, the council’s policy is not to make other termination payments to its senior officers, other than where it is considered that a payment may be necessary to eliminate risk of claims against the council.

Other Elements of Remuneration

Note: N/A denotes there is no payment to any employee for these provisions

Honorarium/Acting-Up/additional responsibility payments

This policy is set out in Section five ‘Policies common to all employees’.

Lease Car/Cash Alternative

Payments are lifted in line with the nationally agreed pay increase.

Mileage Rates

Mileage rates are set out in Section five and aim to reflect the HMRC mileage allowance payments rates.

Payment of professional subscriptions or membership fees.

Details of the scheme are set out in Section five ‘Policies common to all employees’.

Subsistence or other expenses allowance

Provision of Mobile Telephones

Details of the scheme are set out in Section five ‘Policies common to all employees’.

Re-engagement of Senior Officers

The council’s general policy regarding re-employment following redundancy follows the National Joint council terms and conditions i.e if a redundant employee commences local government employment within 4 weeks of the redundancy payment must be returned.

It is also not the council’s policy to re-employ or re-engage in any way the Chief Executive or senior officers who have left with a severance or redundancy payment.

Employment of those in receipt of an LGPS pension

Details are set out in Section five ‘Policies common to all employees’.

Flexible Retirement

The LGPS regulations permit the council to offer flexible retirement to employees, including senior officers, aged 55 or over, in order that they may reduce their hours of work, and/or step down to a lower position, and receive a pension in respect of the proportion of full-time hours they are no longer required to work.

The council’s policy statement of Flexible Retirement is set out in Section five ‘Policies common to all employees’.

Publication of details of employee remuneration

In accordance with Section 39 (5) of the Localism Act, this policy will be published on the council’s website.

The council is also required to publish information about the remuneration of senior officer under the Accounts and Audit (Amendment No.2) (England) Regulations 2009, and the Code of Recommended Practice for Local Authorities Data Transparency, issued under Section 2 of the Local Government Planning and Land Act 1980. This information may be obtained via the Statement of Accounts on the council’s website.

• Introduction
• Remuneration of the Chief Officers
• Remuneration of Lowest Paid Employees
• Pay Relationships
• Policies Common to all Employees
• Policy Review