The Remuneration Committee of Oxfordshire Council met on Thursday 22 January 2026 to discuss the council's Pay Policy Statement for 2026-27. The meeting also included the approval of previous minutes and consideration of exempt information.

Pay Policy Statement 2026-27

A key item scheduled for discussion was the council's Pay Policy Statement for 2026-27. This statement, prepared by the Director of Human Resources and Cultural Change, outlines the council's approach to employee pay in accordance with the Localism Act 2011. The report detailed the council's use of job evaluation schemes, such as Korn Ferry Hay for senior roles and the National Joint Council for Local Government Services (Green Book) for other officers, to ensure a transparent and objective pay structure.

The statement also addressed the council's commitment to paying above the National Living Wage, with the lowest paid employees earning £12.65 per hour as of April 2025, exceeding the National Living Wage of £12.21 per hour. It provided an analysis of pay multiples, comparing the highest paid employee (the Chief Executive) to the lowest paid employees and the median salary. In 2025, the pay multiple between the lowest and highest paid was 1:10.09, meaning the Chief Executive earned approximately 10 times more than the lowest paid employees. The report also detailed pay multiples involving the average salary of Chief Officers.

The document also covered various aspects of the council's remuneration strategy, including annual cost of living pay awards, pay supplements such as market supplements and honoraria, and other employment-related arrangements like the Local Government Pension Scheme and various employee benefits. Specific attention was given to the pay arrangements for senior management, including the process for determining the Chief Executive's salary and the introduction of a performance-linked increment system for Directors and above. The statement also outlined the council's policy on redundancy and severance payments, as well as its approach to re-employment of former employees.

The committee was recommended to take note of the Pay Policy Statement 2026-27 and to recommend to the full Council that it be noted and approved for publication on the council's website.

Minutes of Previous Meeting

The committee was scheduled to approve the minutes of the previous meeting held on 7 January 2026.

Exempt Items

The agenda also included two exempt items: Exempt Minutes and To consider the report . These items were recommended to be discussed with the public excluded due to the likely disclosure of exempt information relating to individuals and the financial or business affairs of particular persons. The report pack indicated that the information was exempt under Schedule 12A of the Local Government Act 1972, and that the public interest in maintaining the exemption outweighed the public interest in disclosure.