For information, the Panel had received a copy
of Report number COU/WS/23/007, which related to the West Suffolk
Council Pay Policy Statement for 2023/2024, which had been
subsequently approved by Council on 21 March 2023.
The Pay Policy Statement included:
a.
The level and elements of remuneration for Chief Officers (senior
staff).
b.
The remuneration of the lowest paid employees.
c.
The relationship between the remuneration of the highest and lowest
paid employees.
d.
Other specific aspects of Chief Officer remuneration, fees and
charges and other discretionary payments.
e.
The gender pay position.
The Council’s ratio of the highest paid
employee (April 2022) to the lowest paid £20,812 per annum)
contractual employee was 7.2:1. The
Hutton Review of Fair Pay in the Public Sector 2011 recommended
that the average pay ratio between the chief executive of most
public sector organisations and the lowest paid member of staff was
below 12:1. The Council also continued to pay above the National
Living Wage.
For the period April 2021 to March 2022, the
Council’s gender pay gap was -2.56%, which showed that the
average hourly rate of females was 2.56% more than the average
hourly rate of makes. The median gender
pay gap was -4.72%.
However, it was noted that the Council’s
pay policies and structures would need to continue to be reviewed
to ensure that it had due consideration to the following particular
factors:
a.
The level of future Pay Awards.
b.
Increase in the National Living Wage (which was
forecast to rise to around
£11.16 in 2024).
The Panel then discussed the content of the
Pay Policy Statement and asked various questions for
clarification. One of the questions
particularly raised, the Service Manager confirmed that there were
six members of staff who were paid on the minimum hourly
rate.
With there being no decision required, the
Panel noted the update provided.