Decision details

The Assistant Director Human Resources & Organisational Development, Jon Bell, presented a report on the Pay Policy Statement incorporating information on Gender Pay Gap and Recruitment and Retention.

The Committee noted that there was currently a gender pay gap in favour of female employees.  It was suggested that this could be attributed to a combination of factors including: social workers tending to be female and, due to requirement for those posts to require a professional qualification, that they were higher paid; Street Scene staff tending to be male and for those roles to be lower paid; and some lower paid professions which tended to have female staff, such as care services, being outsourced and not therefore part of the Council’s pay data.  Officers reported that overall there were no significant issue with pay parity. 

In relation to pay progression, the Committee commented that there was a significant increase in percentage from Satisfactory (0.5%) to Good (2.25%).  It was suggested that such a big increase could move officers to the top of their grades faster which then result in there being a demotivating factor for future performance.  The Assistant Director Human Resources & Organisational Development advised the Committee that performance related pay was due to be reviewed and this would be taken into consideration at that time.

A Member questioned whether there was a London minimum pay level for apprentices.  The Assistant Director Human Resources & Organisational Development advised the Committee that there was and highlighted that Barnet pay above the minimum level. 

The Chief Executive reported that a report on the Ethnicity Pay Gap would be produced by 31 March 2021.

RESOVLED that Committee recommend that Council approve the Pay Policy Statement 2021/22 (as attached at Appendix A) at the meeting on 19^th January 2021.