The Employment Committee of Leicestershire County Council met on Thursday, 5 February 2026, to discuss the council's work programme for the year, review gender pay gap reporting, and receive updates on the workforce and organisational change. Key decisions included the approval of the 2026 work programme and noting the contents of the Gender Pay Gap report, with publication scheduled for March 2026.

Work Programme and Terms of Reference

The committee approved the proposed reporting timetable for workforce matters and the Employment Committee Work Programme for 2026. They also noted the contents of the Employment Committee's Terms of Reference. The work programme outlines regular updates on workforce information, organisational change, and annual reports on gender pay gap, health and safety, and the pay policy statement. The Terms of Reference confirm the committee's responsibility for determining staff terms and conditions, including disciplinary and grievance procedures, and ensuring compliance with employment legislation.

Gender Pay Gap Reporting

The committee noted the content of the report regarding Leicestershire County Council's Gender Pay Gap reporting. The report detailed that for the snapshot date of 31 March 2025, the mean gender pay gap was 5% and the median gender pay gap was also 5%. This represents a decrease from previous years, with the mean gap reducing from 11% in March 2022 and the median gap reducing from 8% in March 2022. The report attributed the pay gap primarily to the distribution of roles across the organisation, with men more likely to be in higher-graded positions and women more represented in lower-graded roles, influenced by occupational and societal factors. The council is committed to mitigating the gap by ensuring fair recruitment, equal opportunities for progression, and reviewing policies that promote work-life balance. The publication of the Gender Pay Gap report is scheduled for 30 March 2026.

Workforce Report 2025-26 Quarter 3 Update

An update on workforce information and performance measures for Quarter 3 of 2025/26 was presented. As of December 2025, the council's headcount was 5881, with a Full Time Equivalent (FTE) of 4916.39. This showed an increase in both headcount and FTE compared to the previous year. The report highlighted a reduction in headcount and FTE within Corporate Resources, largely due to school kitchen staff transferring to new suppliers. Conversely, Children and Family Services saw an increase, attributed to converting agency social workers to permanent positions and the implementation of a pay cap for agency rates.

The council contracted an average of 289 agency workers per month, with an average monthly spend of £1.5 million. Agency spend in Children's and Family Services decreased, correlating with the increase in permanent staff, while Environment & Transport saw an increase in agency spend due to project-based work.

The sickness absence rate at the end of October 2025 was 3.47%, equating to an average of 9.11 days lost per full-time employee, which remains above the council's target of 7.5 FTE days lost. Stress, depression, and mental health were identified as the leading causes of long-term sickness absence, while short-term absences were most frequently attributed to Covid-19, coughs, colds, and flu. The report also noted that 549 employees were actively managed within the attendance management process.

The Annual Performance Review (APR) completion rate was reported as 57.1% as of December 2025. HR is working on simplifying the recording and reporting processes for APRs, with improvements expected by April 2026.

Organisational Change Policy and Procedure: Action Plans

The committee received an update on current Action Plans that include provisions for compulsory redundancy. The report indicated that no outstanding comments or concerns were raised by members. Two action plans were noted as completed: the Public Health Service Review, which resulted in 7 compulsory redundancies, and the Children & Families - Targeted Family Help Review and Corporate Resources - LTS H&S, which resulted in no compulsory redundancies. Several other action plans were reported as underway, with no predicted compulsory redundancies for most.

Working Arrangements Policy

The committee noted an update on the revised Working Arrangements Policy, which was set to come into force from 1 June 2026. Following the committee's decision in February, proposals were revised and agreement reached with trade unions. Implementation activities commenced in March, with staff and managers being informed and consulted on future office attendance. Preparations were underway to align workspaces, team locations, and desk availability with expected attendance levels, and car parking arrangements were being reviewed. The policy was made available internally online from early March, and work was ongoing to assess daily attendance levels and desk capacity. A report on the overall impact of the changes is expected in September.