Council

 

  23 March 2023

Report of the Director of Governance

 

Pay Policy 2023-2024                                                           

 

Summary

 

1.    The purpose of this report is to present for approval the council’s Pay Policy Statement for 2023-2024.

 

2.    In addition to provide the information required under The Local Authorities (Data Transparency) Code 2015.

 

Background

 

3.    Section 38 – 43 of the Localism Act 2011 introduced a requirement for the Council to produce and publish an annual policy statement that covers a number of matters concerning the pay of the Council’s senior staff, principally Chief Officers, and relationships with the pay of the rest of the workforce.

 

4.    The Pay Policy Statement has been produced following the requirements of the Act and guidance issued by the Secretary of State for Communities. It has to be published before 31 March each year.

 

5.    The Council is continually looking at how it can improve the information it reports, and in 2022 consolidated the Pay Policy Statement with all the additional reports required by The Local Authorities (Data Transparency) Code 2015 for organisation and senior salary information. This format aims to provide improved transparency, consistency and clear presentation of data which can easily be accessed by the public.   

 

 

 

Consultation

 

6.    Approval of the Policy Statement for 2023-24 is by full council, consultation with other management bodies is not required.           

 

Options

 

7.    Option one - To endorse the Pay Policy Statement.

 

8.    Option two - To reject / amend the Pay Policy Statement.

 

Analysis

 

9.    The Localism Act 2011 sets out specific details of what should be included in the Pay Policy Statement and the requirements of this are met in the attached Statement.

 

10. It should also be noted that apprentices have been excluded from the calculation for the pay multiple in the statement as they are employed on training contracts and paid outside of the council’s grading structure.   School staff are also excluded from this statement.

 

11.    The information included is as of 1st February 2023.  

 

12.    The Council is a Living Wage employer and follows the wage level set by the Living Wage Foundation for ‘Outside London’.    The council will apply the new 2023 -24 rate of £10.90 per hour from 1st April 2023. The new rate is equivalent to an annual salary of £21,029.19 per annum.  For the majority of staff in the Council their basic pay will be above the Living Wage rate but the Council’s Living Wage supplement is in place if needed, to bridge any gap between basic pay and the Living Wage rate.   

 

13.    The Council is required to publish its pay multiple (the ratio between the highest paid base salary in the council and the median salary) as part of the Pay Policy Statement. The ratio is based on the salary of the highest paid permanent role: that of the Chief Operating Officer.  The median average has been used for calculating the pay multiple. The ratio is 5.16:1, which is slightly reduced from last year.   

 

14.    The council’s Pay Policy Statements and Transparency information is published on the council’s website at: https://data.yorkopendata.org/group/transparency   This year’s information will be published following approval by Full Council.

 

15.    The main change seen in this year’s Transparency Reporting is the increase in number of employees brought into the report of employees with remuneration over £50,000.  The increase in numbers is predominately due to the 2022 annual pay award bringing the salary level, for the 87 employees in Grade 11, into the £50,000 to £54,999 remuneration bracket.

 

Council Plan

 

16.    The council’s pay policy and production of the Pay Policy Statement aligns with the core outcomes of ‘an open and transparent council’ and ‘well paid jobs and an inclusive economy’.  

 

Implications

 

(a)     Financial

 

There are no financial implications for the report.

 

(b)     Human Resources (HR)

 

There are no human resource implications for the report.

 

(c)      Equalities (Contact – Equalities Officer)

 

There are no equalities implications for the report. 

 

(d)     Legal

 

The Pay Policy Statement meets the requirements of the Localism Act and also meets the requirements of guidance issued by the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government to which the authority is required to have regard under Section 40 of the Act.

 

 

(e)     Crime and Disorder

There are no implications for crime and disorder.

 

(f)       Information Technology (IT)

 

There are no implications for IT.

 

(g)     Property

 

There are no implications for property.

 

(h)     Other

 

Other implications are covered in the body of the report.

 

Risk Management

 

15.    There are no significant risks associated with production of the Pay Policy Statement. 

 

Recommendations

 

For the Council to approve the Pay Policy Statement for 2023 - 2024  

 

Reason:          In order to fulfil the requirements of Section 38 – 43 of the Localism Act 2011 for the council to produce and publish an annual policy statement that covers a number of matters concerning the pay of the council’s senior staff, principally Chief Officers and relationships with the pay of the rest of the workforce.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Contact Details

 

 

Authors:

 

Chief Officer Responsible for the report:

Judith Bennett

Pay, Reward and Policy Manager

10904 551716

 

Bryn Roberts

Director of Governance

07514 735939

 

Report Approved

 

√

Date

 

28/2/2023

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Specialist Implications Officer(s) 

Bryn Roberts

Director of Governance

07514 735939

 

Wards Affected:  None

 

 

 

 

For further information please contact the author of the report

 

Background Papers:

 

None

 

Annexes:

 

Annex A - Pay Policy Statement and Transparency Information