The Service Manager (Human Resources and
Organisational Development) reported on the following actions
within the strategic priorities of the West Suffolk Workforce
Strategy:
-
People Strategy
This Strategy was
being developed and would cover five key workstreams:
-
Recruitment and Retention
-
Skills and Behaviours
-
Reward and Recognition
-
Health and Wellbeing
-
Future Planning
The Strategy
explained why each was a priority, what the Council wanted to
achieve and what actions would be required to achieve
this. A copy of this draft Strategy
would also be brought to the Panel in due course for
discussion.
-
Gender Pay
The
Council’s median gender pay gap was -2.01%. The
gender pay gap was calculated as the difference between average
hourly earnings of men and women, as a proportion of men’s
average hourly earnings (excluding overtime).
-
Wellbeing
The following
events/initiatives had been delivered:
-
Wellbeing calendar for 2022 which focussed on a different health
and wellbeing topic each month.
-
Men’s and Women’s health webinars had been delivered in
November 2021 by Westfield Health. One
further wellbeing webinar to take place before the end of March
2022. The topic was still to be
determined.
-
Continue with the ‘Understanding our new normal life’
staff group session on a monthly
basis.
-
Continue with the Health and Wellbeing workstream.
-
Engage with Occupational Health regarding health checks for staff,
such as cholesterol and blood pressure checks.
-
Support embedding the Domestic Abuse Champions within the
organisation.
-
Continue to engage and support the Wellbeing Champions and Mental
Health First Aiders.
-
Manager Peer Networking Group.
-
Salary finance/Cushon.
-
Staff Achievement Awards.
-
Parent and Carers Support Group.
The Panel discussed
the above events/initiatives and welcomed these within the
organisation. With regards to the
health checks, it was asked as to whether it would also be possible
to include pre-diabetes checks as well.
In addition, these health checks were also beneficial for the
younger workforce, so it was also requested for these checks to be
promoted to these individuals as well.
Councillor Carol
Bull commended the Staff Achievement Awards, in which she had
previously attended in her role as Portfolio Holder for
Governance. She stated as to whether it
would be an option in the future for all Members to be invited to
attend the Awards, so that they could also see the achievements of
the staff.
With there being no decision required, the
Panel noted the updates provided.