The Employment Sub-Committee of Barnet Council met on Tuesday 23 January 2024 to discuss the Pay Policy Statement for 2024/25. The committee resolved to refer the Pay Policy Statement to the Full Council for approval.

Pay Policy Statement 2024/25

The committee considered the annual Pay Policy Statement for 2024/25, presented by Jon Bell, Assistant Director of Human Resources and Organisational Development, and Prodromos Mavridis, HR Policy and Reward Lead. This statement is a statutory requirement under the Localism Act 2011¹ and outlines the council's policies on officer remuneration, the lowest-paid employees, and the relationship between different pay levels within the organisation.

Key points discussed included the council's gender pay gap, which, as of 31 March 2022, showed that female employees on average earned more than male employees. This was attributed to the outsourcing of certain specialist functions that traditionally attract a higher proportion of men. The report noted that work is ongoing to monitor and report on the ethnicity pay gap.

Members also raised questions about the consistency of annual pay reviews across different service areas. It was explained that while differential pay awards have been formally adopted, they have not been applied in recent years for practical reasons. This aspect of the pay structure is currently under review, with negotiations underway with trade unions.

The committee resolved to refer the Pay Policy Statement to the Full Council meeting on 27 February 2024 for approval.