HR
Council hit by £4.6m employment tribunal payout
A council that harassed and discriminated against one of its directors will look to appeal an ‘excessive’ £4.6m award for damages by an employment tribunal.
Six observations from my time as PPMA president
Against a challenging backdrop for public services, PPMA president Gordon McFarlane sets out six key reflections from his two years at the helm.
Coventry pushes ahead with 'fire and rehire' plan
Coventry City Council has begun a staff consultation over controversial ‘fire and rehire’ proposals.
Time to break the barriers
Nicola Chiverton argues there is more to be done in key areas such as social inclusion if the sector is to make a success of tackling its workforce crisis.
Sector should adopt national branding campaign to boost workforce
Local government should adopt a national branding campaign to recruit and retain staff amid a worsening workforce crisis, the County Councils’ Network has urged.
Council hands police file on £1m pay-outs
A file relating to allegedly unlawful exit payments to managers at Northumberland CC has been handed to police.
DLUHC claims four-day week council saw spike in agency staff
South Cambridgeshire DC’s controversial four-day week trial is under fresh scrutiny after data revealed a spike in agency work and opponents challenged costs.
Sunderland care workers in equal pay dispute
Female care workers in Sunderland are taking legal action against the city council in a row over equal pay.
Council set to halve sick pay
Southend Council is planning to halve the amount of sick pay given to staff in a move Unison has described as ‘callous’.
A Faer Point
'If we want employees to thrive and equip them with a clear sense of mission, we need to provide the tools, environment, development and support to do it', says partner at Faerfield Jason Wheatley.
Attracting the next generation of local government stars
Luke Judd of Starfish Search reflects on a discussion they had with the ‘rising stars’ of local government as part of their Top Talent series run in conjunction with The MJ.
Four day week clampdown a 'slippery slope'
A senior local government figure has struck back at Government efforts to curb the adoption of a four-day working week by councils.
Mumsnet urges councils to publish parental leave policies
Parenting campaign group Mumsnet is calling on local authorities to publish their parental leave policies in a bid to help job seekers.
Councillor-officer relations coming under pressure
Relations between councillors and officers are being tested by the increasing financial pressures faced by local authorities, a new report has found.
Eliminating legacy: empowering public sector HR, finance, and payroll
With impending regulation and public sector bodies razor focused on cost-cutting, integrating and adapting to new technology is becoming ever more crucial, says Anton Roe.
Don’t get trapped by cutting your training
Council services need to change with the times and investing in training is the only way to compete for the best and brightest people to improve your borough, writes Cllr Rowan Ree.
Inexcusable: The woeful state of diversity
After shameful research highlighted the woeful lack of diversity in the local government workforce, Nazeya Hussain and Chris Naylor challenge the sector to speed up the painfully slow progress being made.
Menopause in the workplace
Starfish Search’s Lorraine Payne and Sunita Patel look at the importance of breaking down the stigma around menopause for a more inclusive and empathetic workplace.
Councils are benched in the King’s Speech
It is disappointing to see nothing to resolve the woes of the sector in the King's Speech, says Heather Jameson – 'or to indicate councils may just provide some of the solutions for national issues'.
South Cambs issued Best Value notice over four-day week
The Government has issued a Best Value notice to South Cambridgeshire DC following 'concerns' about its trial of a four-day working week.