Agenda and minutes

          Appointment of Chairman

RESOLVED: To appoint Councillor Hiller as Chairman of the Committee for the duration of the meeting.

Apologies were received from Councillors Fitzgerald (Chairman), Holdich (Vice Chairman), Lamb, Cereste and Councillor Swift.

Councillor Walsh and Councillor Fletcher were in attendance as substitutes.

Councillor Hiller, Councillor Casey and Councillor Thacker were in attendance as nominated substitutes for the duration of the meeting.

There were no declarations of interest.

The minutes of the meeting held on 19 January 2012 were agreed as a true and accurate record.

As none of the Members listed as being present at the meeting held on 26 January 2012 were in attendance, the approval of these minutes was deferred until the next meeting.

The minutes of the meeting held on 30 March 2012, were agreed as a true and accurate record.

The Committeereceived a report from the Training & Development Manager which outlined a number of policies that had been shared with the Joint Consultative Forum (JCF)

          The report sought the agreement of the Committee to implement the appended employment policies to ensure the Council’s policies remained up to date and legal.

          The Employment Committee was requested to agree the following employment policies:

i)          Youth Worker grades and responsibilities(Appendix 1);

ii)        Revision to the Self Disclosure Policy (Appendix 2); and

iii)      Revision to the Training & Development Policy (Appendix 3)

          In addition, the Employment Committee was requested to note and agree the amendment to the following policy:

iii)   Revision to the Training & Development Policy (Appendix 3)

          Comments and responses to questions included:

·         Members sought clarification over whether it was legal for Peterborough City Council (PCC) to claim training fees back from employees?  The Acting Head of Human Resources advised the Committee that an employee was required to sign a contract prior to receiving training funding, which would outline the salary deduction agreement in the event of cessation of employment.  The Committee was also advised that there was a prescribed timescale which would apply to when the cessation occurred and a sliding scale of salary would calculate the value of salary deduction; 

·         Members sought clarification over whether the same pay back arrangements would be applicable for apprentices?  The Training & Development Manager advised Members that apprentices would be subject to a separate contract which would not enforce pay back  of training fees following cessation of employment;

·         Members were advised that an employee would be required to complete a business case before an application for training was considered by a department.  Members were also advised that occasionally, support was also offered in the form of time off by PCC for employees to attend training courses;

·         Members were advised that if an employee disagreed with a decision made by a department over an application for training, there was a grievance procedure that the employee would follow;

·         Members were informed that there were two PCC employees completing foundation degrees in management.

·         Members were advised that the estimated figure for employees wishing to raise their academic attainment levels within the organisation was around five percent.

          Following discussion, Members were advised that due to the relevant presenting Officer not being in attendance, the policy for Youth Worker grades and responsibilities at Appendix 1 was recommended for deferral to the next meeting of Employment Committee.

          RESOLVED:

          The Employment Committee agreed to implement the following policies subject to the inclusion of the amendment at 3.7 for the Revision to the Training & Development Policy (Appendix 3):

ii)   Revision to the Self Disclosure Policy (Appendix 2); and

iii) Revision to the Training & Development Policy (Appendix 3)

          The Employment Committee agreed to defer the following policy to be considered at the next meeting:

i)   Youth Worker grades and responsibilities (Appendix 1)

          The Employment Committee received a report which outlined the requirements for the Committee to appoint three Members to the Employee Appeals Sub-Committee.

          The report sought the appointment of three Members to the Employee Appeals Sub-Committee; these appointments were to be in accordance with political balance arrangements of the Council:

i)   Two Conservative Members; and

ii)  One minority Member.

          RESOLVED:

          As there were a number of Members not in attendance at the meeting,the Employment Committee agreed to defer the appointment of Members for the Employee Appeals Sub-Committee until the next meeting .