Agenda item

The Associate Director, Customer, highlighted that the Pay Policy Statement had already been approved by this Committee and subsequently by full Council, in February 2022. It had now been brought back to the Committee in an updated version following the conclusion of national pay negotiations, so now included updated pay scales and officers occupying Chief Officer roles.

Following Government statutory guidance on special severance payments which needed a higher level of scrutiny, the Council pay policy also confirmed that any redundancy or severance package of £100,000 or more would be approved by Full Council.

In answer to a question from Members the Associate Director clarified the roles specified in the report as currently attracting a retention payment and interim arrangements paid at a daily rate, and the Chair requested that in future figures presented in the report accurately reflected what was actually being paid for each position, rather than an overall salary band. Members also requested figures on the number of staff currently receiving acting up payments and the number of staff receiving honoraria payments and the Associate Director agreed to provide these figures to a future Committee.

The Chair asked about the figures given in the report showing the relationship between the renumeration of the Chief Executive and the lowest and median paid employees, and whether there was any policy to narrow the gap, the Associate Director confirmed that the Council followed national payscales, and that Slough Borough Council fell in the mid-range in comparison with other Councils in this area.

In answer to a request for providing a quarterly monitoring report on staff pay by grade, the Associate Director agreed to discuss with the Chair what reporting could be provided for the Committee going forward and timescales.

Resolved – that the Committee recommend to full Council approval of the revised Pay Policy Statement for 2022/23.