The Employment Committee of Reigate and Banstead Council convened on Tuesday 25 June 2024. Key topics included the election of the Chair and Vice-Chair, the terms of reference for the committee, updates on member training, and a detailed workforce data summary for the 2023/24 year.

Election of Chair and Vice-Chair

Councillor James King was elected as the Chair for the 2024/25 municipal year, and Councillor Paul Chandler was elected as the Vice-Chair. Both elections were uncontested and received unanimous support from the committee members.

Terms of Reference

The committee reviewed the terms of reference for the Employment Committee, which outline the responsibilities and procedural rules related to officer employment. No changes were made, and the committee noted the existing terms.

Member Training

Kate Brown, Head of Organisational Development and HR, provided an update on the upcoming training for Employment Committee members. The training is scheduled for Monday, 22 July 2024, at 6.30 pm at the Town Hall. It will cover various topics, including UK employment law, disciplinaries, dismissals, grievances, senior officer recruitment, equality, diversity, inclusion, and data protection. The training will be delivered by Catherine Nundee, Director of the HR Branch Limited.

Workforce Data Summary

The committee reviewed the workforce data summary for the 2023/24 year, presented by Kate Brown. Key highlights included:

• Headcount and Turnover: The council's headcount and full-time equivalent staff figures remained stable. Voluntary staff turnover decreased from 16% to 9.3%, falling below the KPI tolerance of 12%.
• Diversity: The ethnicity of the workforce is less diverse than the Reigate and Banstead resident population, based on the 2021 census data. Efforts are underway to address this disparity.
• Sickness Absence: Both long-term and short-term sickness absences decreased, with overall average days lost due to sickness falling from 10.18 to 9.79 days.
• Apprenticeships: The council remains committed to supporting apprenticeships and utilising the apprenticeship levy for both full apprenticeships and career development opportunities.

Organisational Development Update

Kate Brown also provided a verbal update on the organisational development and HR strategy. The strategy aligns with the corporate plan priorities and includes feedback from staff surveys and consultations with various stakeholders. The strategy will be presented to the committee later this year.

Hybrid Working Policy

The committee discussed the council's approach to hybrid working. While hybrid working is not feasible for all roles, the council aims to implement a flexible working policy that considers the needs of different service areas and prioritises effective service delivery to residents. The policy will be finalised later this year.

Future Work Programme

The committee reviewed the future work programme and agreed to propose an earlier start time of 6 pm for future meetings, subject to confirmation from all members.