Council staff


Understanding absenteeism and presenteeism in local government 16/04/2019 Has local government found the cure for its absenteeism issues? Louise Chapman reports.
Treasury moves to ban six-figure ‘golden goodbyes’ in local government 10/04/2019 The Government has launched a consultation into ending six-figure ‘golden goodbyes’ for public sector staff.
Local government employment at ‘record low’ 20/03/2019 The number of people employed in the local government sector has plummeted to a ‘new record low’, data reveals.
How digitisation will put the human into HR 27/02/2019 Simon Fowler explains about how local government employee engagement can be supercharged by HR professionals learning to harness data and technology.
Sexual harassment is everyone's problem, not just the rich and powerful 22/02/2019 Is local government failing to tackle sexual harassment in the workplace? Mark Whitehead investigates.
Council staff should be better protected against sexual harassment 18/02/2019 Council staff should have better protection against unwelcome advances by people using public services, Unison has warned.
Ashford BC offers £3,000 bursary to undergraduates 14/01/2019 A Kent council has approved the introduction of an undergraduate work placement and bursary scheme - the first of its kind amongst local authorities in the county.
Councils to save £90,000 by sharing top staff 10/01/2019 Cambridgeshire and Peterborough councils have announced plans to share more of their top personnel in order to make efficiency savings.
Redundancy of Bournemouth council boss to cost £475,000 09/01/2019 The redundancy of Bournemouth Borough Council’s managing director will cost the council around £475,000 as part of the merger of Dorset’s councils.
We need to give more attention to our middle management and frontline teams 04/01/2019 If we want to land changes across our organisations then we have to take people on the journey says Danny Longbottom.
'Fairytale of New York' most loved song of local government 19/12/2018 Local government leaders enjoy ‘place-based’ Christmas songs, think tank concludes, as nearly half select The Pogues’ classic as their favourite.
Top 100: Our most popular local government stories of 2018 11/12/2018 From council pay rises to troubled outsourcing firms, here is our countdown of the 100 most popular stories on LocalGov during 2018.
Over 28,000 council jobs cut in Wales 27/11/2018 More than 28,000 local authority jobs have been lost in Wales as a result of Whitehall spending cuts, a union has revealed.
Council scraps plans to force staff to take unpaid leave 19/11/2018 Somerset County Council has backed down over a plan force staff to take two days unpaid leave over Christmas.
Shropshire Council staff told to work from home ‘one day a month’ 09/11/2018 Staff at Shropshire Council have been told they must work from home one day a month as the authority struggles to get a grip on its finances.
Hopes emerge as talks resume following Glasgow strike 25/10/2018 Mark Whitehead explores what led thousands of council staff to strike in Glasgow this week.
Council staff to strike over equal pay claims 22/10/2018 Thousands of women at one of the UK's biggest councils are set to walk out on strike for two days this week over equal pay.
Local government workers: an uncertain future 19/10/2018 With some councils forcing staff to take unpaid holiday leave in an effort to save money, Mark Whitehead explores what impact this will have on the workforce.
Number of social services staff in Wales drops for 11th year in a row 19/10/2018 The number of staff in council social services departments in Wales has fallen by almost a quarter in the last 11 years, according to the latest figures.
Payday loans or credit unions? 24/09/2018 With councils being urged to provide payday loans to their staff through payroll systems, Mark Whitehead considers if this is a better option than using existing schemes like credit unions.
Public sector workers doing '40 million hours of unpaid overtime' 24/09/2018 Support staff in the public sector are doing more than 40 million hours of unpaid overtime a year, according to local government union Unison.
Council staff urged to reject 3% pay increase in Scotland 10/09/2018 Unison is calling on its local government members to reject the new offer of a 3% pay rise.
Council offers ‘additional’ paid leave after premature births 08/08/2018 South Ayrshire Council employees with children who receive hospital care following a premature birth are being given additional paid maternity and paternity leave.
Staff churn in local government - an unsustainable reality 26/07/2018 Garry Nelson explains how councils can improve effective talent acquisition, retention and development programmes.
Council staff drop multi-million legal claims against Birmingham City Council 26/06/2018 A multi-million pound raft of legal claims over sex discrimination have been dropped by Birmingham City Council workers without explanation.
A cry for help? 21/06/2018 With a survey suggesting half of council workers are considering quitting their jobs, Mark Whitehead considers how important it is for managers to ease the fears of the local government workforce.
Half of council staff considering quitting their job, survey finds 18/06/2018 Half of council workers are thinking of leaving their job for less stressful work elsewhere, according to a new survey by trade union Unison.
Gender pay gap: what next for councils? 05/06/2018 Mark Whitehead finds out why two London councils have signed up to a new scheme to help women climb the career ladder.
A clash of cultures? 16/05/2018 Mark Whitehead considers if the local government workplace has suffered due to councils adopting a more market-friendly approach.
Council to take pay dispute to Supreme Court 10/05/2018 Nottingham City Council is to take a dispute with its staff over incremental pay rises to the Supreme Court.
Report calls for a bespoke workforce deal with the EU 03/05/2018 Only a bespoke workforce deal with the EU would allow the public sector to recruit top-end talent as well as sufficient numbers of skilled workers and lower-skilled staff, according to finance chiefs.
Council's pay freeze is ruled unlawful by Court of Appeal 23/04/2018 Nottingham City Council was wrong to impose a freeze on incremental pay rises, the Court of Appeal has ruled.
Scottish council staff urged to reject ‘unacceptable’ pay offer 13/04/2018 A Scottish trade union has urged its members to reject the offer of a pay increase up to 3%.
More than 2,000 council staff earn over £100,000 11/04/2018 More than 2,300 council employees were paid more than £100,000 in 2016-17, according to the latest ‘town hall rich list’.
Unison accepts 2% pay rise for local government staff 10/04/2018 A two-year pay deal for more than one million local government workers looks likely to go ahead after the biggest of the three unions involved decided to accept it.
Gender pay gap data - treat with caution 10/04/2018 Mark Whitehead explains why the new gender pay gap figures reveal a somewhat more mixed picture of what is actually going on.
Early figures suggest men earn 6% more than women in local government 28/03/2018 Men in local government earn on average 6% per hour more than women according to the latest data being collected by the Government.
Council chiefs have 'low confidence' in delivering statutory services 28/03/2018 Council bosses have warned they do not have the adequate powers and resources to deliver statutory services in a new survey.
Scottish council staff sceptical about country’s digital progress 21/03/2018 Less than half of local government workers in Scotland believe it will become a digital nation by 2020.
Research highlights lack of male staff in council nurseries 15/03/2018 New figures have revealed that only 5% of staff in the Early Years sector are male, leading to calls to 'widen the talent pool'.
Council gives staff option to wear gender ID bagdes 09/03/2018 Staff at Brighton & Hove City Council will be issued with voluntary badges so they can display their chosen gender identity.
Five recruitment trends in local government 05/03/2018 Jes Ladva argues that local authorities are embracing genuine transformation in recruitment as the austerity freeze continues.
County at ‘crisis point’ announces revised budget 28/02/2018 Northamptonshire County Council has announced revised budget savings after being warned by auditors to revise its spending plans.
Leader of Brighton and Hove City Council resigns 27/02/2018 The leader of Brighton and Hove City Council, Warren Morgan, has resigned.
Councils call for funding to pay for future pay rises 19/02/2018 Scottish council leaders are pressing Holyrood for additional resources and clarity over local government pay.
Council faces legal action over outstanding equal pay awards 13/02/2018 Fife Council is facing fresh legal proceedings over the non-payment of equal pay awards, a trade union has warned.
LGBT - Routes to inclusion in local authorities 06/02/2018 How did Newcastle become the best council for LGBT staff to work for? Mark Whitehead finds out more.
Newcastle named best council for LGBT staff 01/02/2018 Newcastle City Council is the best council for LGBT employees to work for, according to the latest results of Stonewall’s annual review.
A better pay deal for local government? 24/01/2018 With all three unions rejecting the pay offer to local government staff, just what chance do they have of winning more money for council workers? Mark Whitehead explores.
Unison narrowly rejects pay offer to council staff 23/01/2018 The union with the biggest membership among local government workers has voted to reject the 2% pay offer made by the employers late last year.
Council offers voluntary redundancy to its staff 23/01/2018 All non-teaching staff at Shropshire Council have been offered the chance to take voluntary redundancy in a bid to plug a funding gap of more than £59m.
Council workers protesting ‘outrageous’ withdrawal of free parking passes 18/01/2018 Hull City Council employees are staging a demonstration today over the council’s decision to withdraw their free parking passes.
Newcastle to transfer 200 council workers to Northumberland under merger plans 16/01/2018 Newcastle City Council has approved plans to transfer staff to Northumberland County Council as part of plans to share transactional services.
Unions call for 6.5% pay increase for Scottish council workers 15/01/2018 Trade unions representing local government workers across Scotland have called for a 6.5% pay rise for Scottish council workers.
Union urges council staff to reject pay offer 15/01/2018 A trade union is calling on local government members to reject the offer of a 2% pay rise this year.
Returning to work 10/01/2018 Catherine Kift explains how councils can help more people back into work after a career break or retirement.
Councils urged to adopt a ‘changemaking’ approach 04/01/2018 A think tank has warned that a radical cultural shift is needed in local government rather than the rigid redesign of structures.
Council introduces extra leave for parents of premature babies 03/01/2018 Waltham Forest Council has announced it will offer extra maternity and paternity leave to all staff who become parents of premature babies.
Local government staff recognised in New Year's Honours list 02/01/2018 Social services directors featured prominently in this year’s New Year’s Honours List.
Top 100: Our most popular local government stories of 2017 13/12/2017 From council pay to the Housing White Paper, here is a run-down of the 100 most popular stories on LocalGov during 2017.
Unions make 5% pay increase claim for local government craft workers 11/12/2017 Unions have submitted a pay claim for increases of at least 5% for local government craft workers who mainly carry out housing and maintenance work.
Why are we here? 11/12/2017 An increased drive for commercialism is forcing many council chiefs to re-assess the fundamental role of local authorities in an age of austerity. Rod Penman reports.
A 2% pay rise will help retain hard-pressed staff 07/12/2017 Councils want to pay staff more, but they can only afford 2%, writes Heather Jameson.
Half the cost of a 5% pay rise for council staff would be offset in tax, says union 16/11/2017 Half the cost of a pay claim for council workers would be offset by increased taxes and other factors, according to local government unions.
Councils accused of paying out ‘excessive’ mileage allowances 24/10/2017 A new investigation by the TaxPayers’ Alliance has found 38% of councils are paying staff more than the HMRC approved rate for mileage payments.
Accomplice of London Tube bomber is sacked from council job 11/10/2017 Southwark Council has undertaken a review of its procedures after a woman who helped a would-be suicide bomber escape managed to secure a job at the authority.
Council warns it may have to bring in mandatory unpaid leave 03/10/2017 A council has warned staff that it may have to introduce one days’ mandatory unpaid leave in order to deal with ‘severe financial pressures’.
Birmingham leader resigns from council 11/09/2017 The leader of Birmingham City Council, John Clancy, has stepped down amid growing pressure from the media and central government.
Thousands of council staff in Glasgow win equal pay ruling 22/08/2017 Glasgow City Council will look into making payments to potentially thousands of women workers after a court ruling suggested that the council might have been paying them less than their male colleagues.
Long-running bin strike in Birmingham is called off 17/08/2017 The seven-week bin strike in Birmingham has been suspended after trade union Unite agreed to further negotiations with the council.
Council staff 'standing in the way of new technology' finds survey 01/08/2017 More than a third of local government staff believe their colleagues are standing in the way of new technology, according to a new survey.
Council leader steps down after Grenfell fire 03/07/2017 The leader of Kensington & Chelsea council resigned on Friday citing his ‘perceived failings’ in the aftermath of the Grenfell tragedy as the reason.
Local government figures honoured by the Queen 16/06/2017 Our apologies, but due to an error this article has been removed from our site. Please check our home page later today for the correct information.
Half of London councils failing to implement a Bring Your Own Device Policy 15/06/2017 New research has revealed that half of London councils do not have an official Bring Your Own Device (BOYD) in place.
Unions call for 5% pay increase for council staff 15/06/2017 Local government workers should be given a 5% pay rise following eight years of government-imposed pay restraint, trade unions have argued.
1,300 jobs are saved after charity goes into administration 06/06/2017 Over ,1000 jobs have been saved after a drug and alcohol abuse charity went into administration due to ‘unsustainable financial pressure’.
Half of public sector workers take time off due to poor mental health 02/06/2017 Nearly half of public sector workers have taken time off work due to mental health problems, compared to 32% of private sector staff, a new survey has revealed.
Podcast: The thinker who became a doer 01/06/2017 As part of The MJ/Public Intelligence Leadership podcast series, Dr Barry Quirk explains his start in local government and how the landscape has changed during his long career. Heather Jameson reports.
More than 2,000 senior council staff paid six-figure sums, finds research 11/04/2017 More than 2,000 council workers earn more than £100,000 a year, according to the latest ‘town hall rich list’.
GMB Scotland votes to accept local authority pay deal 10/04/2017 Trade union members have voted to accept this year’s offer on local authority pay in Scotland.
Staff win employment tribunal against Brighton Council 03/03/2017 Museum workers at Brighton and Hove Council have won their case that reductions in their pay before the end of the agreed protection period were unlawful.
How can you help your local workforce succeed? 03/03/2017 Associate director for work and families at the IPPR think-tank, Clare McNeil, answers the key question.
Nearly 150,000 care and health jobs at risk due to Brexit says TUC 01/03/2017 Nearly 150,000 adult social care and NHS jobs could be at risk if EU workers would no longer be able to stay in the UK after Brexit, new analysis has revealed.
More than half of councils equip staff with body cameras 28/02/2017 Local authorities have spent nearly £1.8m equipping staff or contractors with body cameras, according to new report from campaign group Big Brother watch.
Birmingham chief executive announces resignation 20/02/2017 The chief executive of Birmingham City Council has announced he is moving on after being part of the council’s ‘challenging journey of improvement and reform’.
Councils without BYOD policy 'risk data leakage' 17/02/2017 Local authorities are putting data at risk by not implementing a ‘Bring Your Own Device’ (BYOD) policy, analysts warn.
End election payments to council bosses says MSPs 24/01/2017 Extra payments for senior council officers to administer elections should be abolished, a report has said today.
Leicestershire top council for LGBT staff finds index 19/01/2017 Leicestershire County Council is the best local government employee for lesbian, gay, bi and trans staff, according to the results of Stonewall’s annual index.
Council staff to mentor vulnerable children in pioneering project 19/01/2017 Glasgow City Council has pledged to get at least 10% of its workforce to help mentor vulnerable children and young people.
Isle of Wight Councils leaders resign over 'intolerable' positions 17/01/2017 The leader and deputy leader of the Isle of Wight Council have both resigned, claiming their positions had become ‘untenable’ and ‘intolerable’.
Council to introduce body-cams after assault accusations 10/01/2017 Colchester council is rolling out the use of body cameras for members of staff who deal with the public after a council employee was accused of assaulting a rough sleeper.
Local government figures named in New Year’s Honours list 03/01/2017 Council leaders, directors and chief executives have been recognised in the 2017 New Year’s Honour list for their ‘tireless’ contribution to local communities.
Top 100: Our most popular local government stories of 2016 16/12/2016 See our countdown of the 100 most popular stories on LocalGov during 2016, with council pensions, the impact of Brexit and election fiascos dominating the headlines.
Autumn Statement: Councils facing £337m costs over new living wage 23/11/2016 Councils are expecting to fork out an extra £337m a year after the minimum wage was increased to £7.50 an hour in today’s Autumn Statement.
Technology, training and talent 16/11/2016 Bob Quin explores how technology can help councils to recruit and retain staff.
A day in the life of local government 15/11/2016 Thousands of local authority staff and councillors are taking part in a 24-hour tweetathon today, showcasing the diverse and varied work they do.
A third of councils forcing vapers to use smoking shelters 07/11/2016 Nearly a third of councils are ignoring expert advice by forcing vapers to use the same designated spaces as smokers, according to new research.
Ghosts and ghouls in council buildings 31/10/2016 LocalGov trawls the web to present our top five tales of things that go bump in the night in council properties.
Over 800,000 public sector jobs at risk of automation 26/10/2016 Over three quarters of a million public sector jobs could be automated, leading to a decrease of up to £17bn in wage costs, new research reveals.
Violent attacks on public service staff double in past decade 21/10/2016 Violent assaults on public service workers in Scotland have doubled in the last decade, according to new figures.

Unjust enrichment?

Housing authorities should take care when relying upon valuations that will feed into section 125 notices, says Amy Rogers, of the disputes team at Cripps.

Don’t play the hokey-cokey with health

Local government has turned public health around despite funding cuts. Now it not the time to think about returning the service to the NHS, argues Nathan Elvery.

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Local Government News

The March issue of Local Government News explores alternative funding channels that are available to councils beyond the Public Works Loan Board, what hurdles merging councils face in coming together, and how local government is handling GDPR.

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