The Employment and Appointments Committee of the West of England Combined Authority met on Friday 5 June 2026 to discuss and approve changes to HR policies and contracts. The committee also noted wider policy updates and approved amendments to the Disciplinary Policy.

HR Policy and Contractual Changes

The committee approved significant changes to HR policies and employment contracts to mitigate legal, financial, and operational risks associated with upcoming employment legislation. These changes are in preparation for new laws expected to come into effect from 1 January 2027, which will reduce the qualifying period for unfair dismissal protection from two years to six months, extend the employment tribunal claim limitation period from three months to six months, and remove the statutory cap on unfair dismissal compensation.

Key decisions made include:

• Approval of a revised MCA Contract of Employment for all new employees starting from 1 July 2026. This contract includes a reduced probationary period of four months, with the option for a one-month extension, ensuring that probation processes are concluded before employees reach the six-month mark for unfair dismissal protection.
• Noting the increased legal, financial, and operational risks arising from the forthcoming legislative changes and supporting the proposed mitigation measures.
• Approval of amendments to the Disciplinary Policy concerning the management of allegations against Statutory Officers. This includes specific arrangements for the Head of Paid Service, Monitoring Officer, and Section 73 Officer, with oversight from the Employment and Appointments Committee (EAC).
• Noting amendments made to the Grievance Policy, Organisational Change Policy, and Travel and Accommodation Policy.

The report highlighted that these changes are part of the People and Cultural transformation programme and aim to ensure the MCA is legally compliant, consistent in its application of policies, and easy for managers and employees to understand. The revised policies and contracts are designed to reduce the risk of employment disputes, procedural non-compliance, and increased tribunal exposure.

The committee also noted that officers would be undertaking further work on amendments to the Disciplinary Policy, meaning that specific approval for that item would not be voted on during this meeting.

The meeting concluded with the committee moving into a private session to discuss exempt information.