Pay
Ministers resist calls for further care funding
Councils should not rely on Government grants to fund social care, ministers have said.
Equal pay challenge warning
‘Huge equal pay challenges in many areas’ could be sparked if employers are forced to retrospectively delete pay points, chief executives have been warned.
Getting the hybrid model right can improve our workplace culture
If we can get the hybrid work model right in local government we can improve our workplace culture, since women will want to stay, and, in turn, we’ll do a bit more in closing the gender pay gap, says Tracy BIngham.
Cost of living crisis loomed large at The MJ Forum
Heather Jameson says it was clear from The MJ Future Forum that the sector is facing a massive agenda. 'But what is perhaps more of a surprise is how little the Queen’s Speech addressed the main issues and captured the zeitgeist of the forum.
Government dismisses union's payout view
New Government guidance attempting to limit special severance payments (SSPs) contradicts advice Whitehall received from senior council officials and may be ignored, insiders have warned.
Future Forum: Funding gap could grow by up to £2bn
The funding gap facing the sector could grow by up to £2bn over the Spending Review period, the deputy chief executive of the Local Government Association (LGA) has warned.
The deep wounds of moral injury
Nick Cole looks at the importance of being alert to ‘moral injury’ and its impact upon workforce wellbeing and retention.
Squaring the circle
Newly installed Association of Directors of Adult Social Services president Sarah McClinton tells Ann McGauran how she plans to ensure care workers receive the funding they require to do their best.
Count on culture not cash
With inflation outstripping planned wage increases, it will be the culture, working for an innovative authority, in a community – ultimately the job satisfaction – that will attract and keep good people in local government, says Heather Jameson.
Actions speak louder than words
Ross Mudie and Annabel Smith argue that plunging yet more people into hardship will lead to a rise in deprivation within the places most in need of levelling up – and make achieving several of the Government’s levelling up missions unfeasible.
Getting our finance workforce offer right
In the wake of ‘The Great Resignation’ and a skills shortage impacting local government finance teams, Tracy Bingham looks at the scale of the recruitment and retention challenge and how it should best be tackled.
EXCLUSIVE: Councils warned to budget for 4% pay increase
Councils have been warned by local government employers to budget for pay rises of at least 4% this year, The MJ understands.
Advisers call for minimum pay to ease care workforce crisis
The Migration Advisory Committee (MAC) has said the Government should foot the bill for a minimum rate of £10.50 per hour for care workers in England.
Planning for the new workforce
Hybrid working and chronic shortages mean councils need to radically rethink their workforce strategies. Michael Burton talks to Gordon McFarlane, the new president of the association representing HR professionals, about what lies ahead.
Playing the long game
Rachael Wardell speaks to Ann McGauran about the capacity issues facing social workers, the need for staff to stay long enough to build long-term relationships, the pressures of intervention, and spiralling agency costs.
Scottish workers prepare for industrial action
Thousands of local government workers in Scotland are preparing to take industrial action over pay.
A national workforce strategy is needed to tackle skills shortage
With pay likely to remain stagnant and labour shortages to continue, local authorities need a robust workforce strategy with the full backing of central Government, says Michael Burton.
Soaring vacancies and declining pay highlight sector crisis
Latest figures this week showing the soaring number of job vacancies coupled with declining public sector pay have highlighted the recruitment and retention crisis facing the local government sector.
Town halls must find more cash for wages
Councils have been warned they will have to find more in their budgets to fund the sector’s increasing wage bill.
Council leaders defend pay decisions after pressure group findings
Council leaders have defended senior pay in response to a report that found the number of staff receiving more than £100,000 increased.
