The Remuneration Committee of Oxfordshire County Council met on Wednesday 7 January 2026. The meeting's agenda included the consideration of pay gap reports and a report on coroner's pay, alongside discussions on organisational restructuring. Some agenda items were held in private session due to the likely disclosure of exempt information.

Gender Equality and Ethnicity Pay Gap Reports 2025

The committee was scheduled to consider the Gender Pay Gap Report 2025 and the Ethnicity Pay Gap Report 2025. The Interim Strategic Pay and Reward Manager was expected to summarise these reports, with members intending to raise issues and receive responses from officers. Discussions were anticipated regarding the difficulty in placing a monetary value on closing the gender pay gap, the timeline for achieving zero gap, and strategies to address the underrepresentation of women in higher positions. The reports were also to be benchmarked, with officers agreeing to collaborate with South East Employers on the Ethnicity Pay Gap Report, which may present challenges due to its voluntary nature. Members were also expected to note factors influencing the figures, such as the exclusion of contracted-out work, the desire of some employees in caring roles to remain in those positions with appropriate pay, and the different categorisation methods for ethnic groups. The need for clearer explanations of the figures for public understanding was also highlighted.

The committee was recommended to note the 2025 gender equality and ethnicity pay gap reports. It was further recommended that the Council's statutory Gender Pay Gap report of 2025 be noted and approved for submission to the Gender Pay Gap Service by 31 March 2026. The Council's voluntary Ethnicity Pay Gap report of 2025 was also to be noted.

Withdrawal of the Coroners' Society of England and Wales (CSEW) from the Joint Negotiating Committee

A report was scheduled to be presented concerning negotiations on Coroner's pay following the withdrawal of the Coroners' Society of England and Wales (CSEW) from the Joint Negotiating Committee (JNC). The agenda indicated that members wished to discuss the contents of exempt annexes, leading to a recommendation that the public be excluded from this part of the meeting. This exclusion was based on the likelihood of disclosing exempt information as defined in Part I of Schedule 12A to the Local Government Act 1972.

Following discussions, which were expected to resume in public session, the committee was scheduled to consider recommendations. These included taking note of the current national position and proposed actions to determine the Council's localised position, and confirming agreement to align Coroner pay to the judicial pay scale effective from 1 April 2025, along with approving an uplift in additional financial resources.

Update on Proposed Organisational Restructuring – Tiers 5 and Below

The committee was scheduled to receive an update on Phase 1 of the proposed organisational restructuring, focusing on Tiers 5 and below, which encompasses posts below Head of Service level. Key areas to be addressed in this report were Financial and Commercial Services, Adult Social Care Phase 1, and Customer Experience. This item was also scheduled to be considered in private session, with recommendations expected to be agreed.

Minutes and Declarations of Interest

The committee was scheduled to approve the minutes of the meeting held on 9 October 2025 and receive information arising from them. Additionally, members were to address declarations of interest, with guidance notes provided on disclosable pecuniary interests and other registrable and non-registrable interests. The agenda also included a section for petitions and public address, with procedures outlined for members of the public wishing to speak at the meeting.