Agenda and minutes

To receive details of any Members appointed to attend the meeting instead of a Member of the Sub-Committee.

Councillor Laurenson for Councillor Stephen.

To receive any declarations of interest.

None.

Up to a total of fifteen minutes can be allowed, each speaker being allocated a maximum of five minutes, for members of the public to present a petition, ask a question or comment on any matter on the Agenda or within the remit of the Sub-Committee.

None.

Of the meeting held on 15^th July 2020 to be approved and signed.

RESOLVED: That the minutes of the meeting held on 15^th July 2020

be approved as a correct record and signed by the Chairman.

To recommend approval of the new Parental Bereavement Leave Policy and Procedure including enhancing statutory bereavement pay to ensure employees continue to receive their normal pay, regardless of their length of service.

The Sub-Committee considered the adoption of a Parental Bereavement Leave Policy and Procedure. The Corporate Director – Finance and Resources presented the report and explained that Parental Bereavement Leave is a new entitlement for bereaved parents to be absent from work, for up to two weeks. The new statutory right is available to the parents of

a child, under the age of 18, who dies on or after 6^th April 2020. The proposed Policy reiterated the Council’s commitment to supporting employees during times of bereavement.

Sub-Committee Members expressed support for the proposal.

RESOLVED: That the Sub-Committee approve the new Parental Bereavement Leave Policy and Procedure including enhancing statutory bereavement pay to ensure employees continue to receive their normal pay, regardless of their length of service.

That the Sub-Committee notes the analysis set out in this report and the previous report of 26 February and agrees to recommend to the Policy and Resources Committee that the Council applies for accreditation with the Living Wage Foundation.

The Corporate Director – Finance and Resources presented a report on progress since the previous report to this Sub-Committee on the matter on 26^th February 2020.

In summary, Officers had:

•     held discussions with Freedom Leisure, the Council’s main contractor that will be affected by these proposals;

•     contacted the procurement team at Birmingham City Council who explained how they have built living wage compliance into their procurement processes;

•     reviewed the legal position to understand fully the potential implications of procurement regulations in relation to Living Wage Employer accreditation.

Freedom Leisure estimated that this would add around £110,000 a year to their payroll costs. However, the Living Wage Foundation did not anticipate that contractual arrangements with suppliers should altered in mid-contract. Therefore, the change would not come into force under normal circumstances until 2025, by which date the actual rate would have increased. Freedom Leisure had confirmed that their business model can accommodate paying different rates for similar work in different parts of the country.

In summary, City Council accreditation with the Living Wage Foundation appeared to be entirely possible, but with cost implications. It was estimated that annual excess costs, most of which will not be incurred until 2025 on renewal of the leisure contract, would be in the order of £150,000 every year, based on current pay rates and applying inflation and a degree of contingency. If this policy was adopted then the City Council would need to plan for this by incorporating a cost pressure risk in the Medium Term Financial Plan and reviewing the balance of costs and benefits during the tender exercise for the Leisure contract when it is renewed.

In response to questions, the Corporate Director explained that the anticipated cost represented approximately 30% of the total contract fee. If that proved to be unaffordable, a contract variation might need to be considered. The Corporate Director undertook to do a further piece work to ascertain how this might impact on the number of staff employed to deliver the contract.

Sub-Committee Members concluded that there were significant benefits and expressed support for making an application for accreditation.

RESOLVED: That the Sub-Committee agree to:

1.    note the analysis set out in this report and the previous report of 26^th February 2020; and

2.    recommend to the Policy and Resources Committee that the Council applies for accreditation with the Living Wage Foundation.

Which in the opinion of the Chairman is of sufficient urgency as to warrant consideration.

None.