HR | LocalGov


Lambeth defends Dosunmu payoff 29/04/2025 Lambeth LBC has defended a payoff totalling almost £88,000 to its former chief who admitted failing to stop after a collision and driving without insurance.
East Suffolk launches campaign against abuse 23/04/2025 A campaign against threatening and abusive behaviour towards front line workers has been launched in East Suffolk.
Council employee pay offer announced 23/04/2025 Council employees have been offered a 3.2% pay increase from 1 April 2025.
Brum pauses charges for rat infestations 22/04/2025 Birmingham City Council has temporarily waived charges for residents who require help with rat infestations during the bin strikes.
Court ruling on definition of a ‘woman’ prompts guidance update 17/04/2025 Equalities watchdog is ‘working at pace’ to update its code of practice for public bodies following the Supreme Court’s ruling on the definition of a ‘woman’.
Striking Brum bin workers reject pay offer 14/04/2025 Refuse collection workers in Birmingham have rejected the city council’s latest pay offer in long-running dispute.
Concern over 'procrastination culture' at Southampton 11/04/2025 A ‘procrastination culture' is holding back progress at Southampton City Council, a new report has found.
Matrix Workforce Management Solutions Appoints Andrew Curry as Client Engagement Director for Health and Social Care 09/04/2025 Matrix, a leader in Workforce Management Solutions, has announced the appointment of Andrew Curry as Client Engagement Director for Health and Social Care.
Angry reaction to Starmer stance on Brum bin strike 07/04/2025 A war of words has broken out between the Government and union bosses over the bin strike in Birmingham.
EXCLUSIVE: Auditors look into chief's £327k payoff 02/04/2025 Auditors are assessing an objection to Thanet DC's accounts after an ex-councillor said they should declare a £327k payment to its former boss ‘unlawful'.
Pupil violence costs South East councils £65k 02/04/2025 Councils in the South East paid £64,555 in compensation to staff injured during school violence from 2019/20 to 2023/24, an investigation has revealed.
Leadership and HR in local government transformation 01/04/2025 Pam Parkes, president of the PPMA, argues that the leadership mindset and HR are the missing links in local government transformation.
Council chiefs defend six figure salaries 01/04/2025 Local authority leaders have defended local government salaries exceeding six figures, arguing it is important to attract the ‘right people’.
Former Liverpool director denies bribery 31/03/2025 Liverpool City Council's former head of regeneration Nick Kavanagh has denied two counts of bribery in court.
Aberdeen council accused of ‘fire and rehire’ threat 28/03/2025 Unite has accused Aberdeen City Council of threatening workers with ‘fire and rehire’ proposals as part of an industrial dispute, a claim the council denies.
Brum council threatens redundancies to end bin strike 28/03/2025 Birmingham City Council will begin a consultation on compulsory redundancies in an effort to end the bin strike, a move Unite describes as ‘bully boy tactics’.
Future Forum: Unitary workers 'grieving' loss of districts 20/03/2025 North Northamptonshire Council chief executive Adele Wylie has urged those involved in reorganisation to act with ‘kindness' and avoid rancour.
Brum rejects independent inquiry call 18/03/2025 Birmingham City Council has rejected an opposition call for an independent inquiry into the botched implementation of an IT system.
McMahon hints over councillor suspension power 12/03/2025 Local government minister Jim McMahon has hinted he will push ahead with handing councils the power to suspend councillors before they have been convicted.
Former Liverpool mayor charged with bribery 10/03/2025 Ex-Liverpool mayor Joe Anderson is among a dozen people charged with bribery and misconduct.
Leaders call for tough pay negotiating stance 05/03/2025 Council leaders have warned a tough stance is needed during pay negotiations as local government struggles to meet union demands.
Union criticises council's 'fire and rehire' plan 05/03/2025 The GMB trade union has criticised Tory-led Devon CC for adopting a rare ‘fire and rehire' strategy for more than 800 jobs.
First leader of North Northants to step down 20/02/2025 The first leader of North Northamptonshire Council has announced he is stepping down at the local elections in May to ‘transition into semi-retirement’.
Council staff left ‘in tears’ after LTN meeting 13/02/2025 Lambeth Council workers were left ‘in tears’ and offered wellbeing leave after a hostile public meeting about a low-traffic neighbourhood (LTN), the High Court has heard.
LGA to provide salary grants for planners 12/02/2025 The Local Government Association is offering councils financial support to help boost their planning capacity through the Pathways to Planning initiative.
Former Woking officers expected to face probe 10/02/2025 The Financial Reporting Council (FRC) is reportedly planning to launch an investigation into two former senior officers at stricken Woking BC.
Birmingham strikes escalate 04/02/2025 Strikes by more than 350 Birmingham bin workers will ‘intensify’ over the next two months, trade union Unite has announced.
Trading standards cuts expose millions to danger 03/02/2025 Millions of people are exposed to scams and dangerous products because of understaffed trading standards teams, a freedom of information request has revealed.
Unions call for £3,000 pay rise 31/01/2025 Council and school employees in England should receive a wage rise of £3,000, according to trade unions representing public sector workers.
Unions lodge pay claims in Scotland 24/01/2025 Unions have put in their pay claims on behalf of local government employees in Scotland.
Council’s senior management ‘unaware’ of £13.5m overspend 23/01/2025 Guildford BC's senior management were ‘unaware’ of a multi-million-pound overspend but should have noticed a series of ‘red flags’, investigation concludes.
Tackling the ecological skills gap 21/01/2025 Catherine Spitzer, chief executive of Environment Bank, explains how private investment can help councils that are struggling to attract skilled ecologists.
Union warns of risk of ‘two-tier workforce’ 20/01/2025 Council trading companies have created a two-tier workforce as their employees are paid less and receive inferior pensions than town hall staff, UNISON says.
South Cambs to consult on four-day week ‘at long last’ 20/01/2025 South Cambridgeshire District Council will launch a consultation this month to ask residents about their experiences of its four-day week trial.
Unions warn council over potential strikes 14/01/2025 Trade unions have warned Belfast City Council that leisure centre staff could strike if a pay dispute with an outsourced management company is not resolved.
Birmingham overhauls leadership team 13/01/2025 Birmingham City Council has made a string of appointments to its senior leadership team.
Call to monitor second jobs of four-day week staff 09/01/2025 Senior councillors in South Cambridgeshire will discuss whether the council should monitor staff working second jobs during its four-day week trial.
£1m Aberdeen council fraud case ‘cautionary tale’ 08/01/2025 Local authorities have been urged to learn from the weaknesses that enabled an Aberdeen City Council employee to defraud the council of £1.1m over two decades.
Schools face ‘death by a thousand cuts’, union says 08/01/2025 Headteachers have warned that schools and colleges will be forced to make cuts if costs continue to outstrip the growth in school funding.
Councils’ housebuilding rests on playing to staff strengths 07/01/2025 Eman Al-Hillawi, CEO at business change consultancy Entec Si, looks at how councils could improve housebuilding progress by re-aligning their workforce.
Former minister Maclean among 38 new peers 23/12/2024 Former Conservative housing and planning minister Rachel Maclean is among 38 new peers who will enter the House of Lords.
Council staff reject ‘insulting’ pay offer 13/12/2024 Outsourced Peterborough City Council employees are considering industrial action after rejecting a pay award.
Council to axe 100 jobs in ‘most difficult budget’ 11/12/2024 Derby City Council has proposed cutting more than 100 jobs in what it has called its ‘most difficult budget’.
Police called after council staff threatened 11/12/2024 Derby City Council has restricted access to its headquarters after staff received ‘malicious communications’ over the phone.
Council staff arrested as police investigate corruption 06/12/2024 Four members of staff at Leeds City Council have been arrested on suspicion of bribery offences.
Union slams council’s ‘fire and rehire’ plans 05/12/2024 The GMB union has criticised Bournemouth, Christchurch and Poole Council over its plans to ‘fire and rehire’ 500 workers.
Council apologises after belongings of deceased tenant binned 26/11/2024 Brighton & Hove City Council has apologised after the belongings of a 29-year-old man found dead in temporary accommodation were binned by contractors.
EXCLUSIVE: Former minister raises concerns over standards reform 20/11/2024 A former local government minister has expressed concerns over proposed reforms that could allow the suspension of councillors who violate codes of conduct.
North Tyneside to cut 200 jobs 20/11/2024 North Tyneside Council has announced plans to cut 200 jobs as it grapples to balance its books.
Social care and the alarming impact of the NIC rise 12/11/2024 The Budget leaves the social care sector alarmed about the rise in national insurance contributions, says Rachael Dodgson, chief executive of Dimensions.
Four-day week council holds back from permanent adoption 08/11/2024 South Cambridgeshire DC is holding back from permanently adopting a four-day working week despite winning the backing of deputy prime minster Angela Rayner.
COSLA: Council leaders offer to ‘supplement’ pay offer 08/11/2024 Local authority leaders in Scotland have offered to ‘supplement and enhance’ the latest pay offer to trade unions to prevent further strikes.
Somerset could cut 450 jobs 28/10/2024 Somerset Council has announced that there will be compulsory redundancies across its workforce, with 450 posts at risk.
West Northants asks staff to consider redundancy 21/10/2024 West Northamptonshire Council has asked staff to consider voluntary redundancy, flexible retirement and reduced working hours in a bid to cut costs.
Labour intervenes at Tameside 15/10/2024 The leader of Tameside MBC has resigned after Labour took steps to directly intervene over ‘unacceptable working practices' at the authority.
Islington Council leader steps down 11/10/2024 The leader of Islington Council, Cllr Kaya Comer-Schwartz, has announced that she will be stepping down.
Ex-councillor jailed for ‘voyeurism on vast scale’ 30/09/2024 A former councillor who filmed 28 women in bathrooms and bedrooms using hidden cameras over a 15-year period has been jailed for six years and two months.
Union threatens strike action after pay award decision 27/09/2024 Local authority leaders in Scotland have decided to impose a wage rise prompting UNISON to threaten strike action.
Council leader steps down after bullying accusation 23/09/2024 The leader of Newcastle City Council has resigned after an accusation of bullying was made against him.
Peers find 'blurred' responsibilities between officers and members 17/09/2024 Ashfield DC must resolve issues with the ‘blurred' responsibilities of members and officers, a report from the Local Government Association has said.
Union rejects latest COSLA pay offer 03/09/2024 Members of Scotland’s largest trade union have voted overwhelmingly to reject the latest pay offer from local government employers.
Appointment to oversee shared planning service 02/09/2024 Guildford and Waverley BCs have appointed a single head to oversee shared planning services.
Six-fold increase in reports of exploitative migrant care worker contracts 20/08/2024 The world’s largest nursing union has reported a six-fold increase in the number of migrant care workers in the UK complaining about exploitative contracts.
Union submits first tranche of equal pay claims 14/08/2024 Trade union GMB has lodged the first tranche of 400 legal equal pay claims against Brighton and Hove City Council.
Brum council spends £1m on bookkeepers 29/07/2024 Birmingham City Council has been forced to spend £1m on manual bookkeeping after the new Oracle software failed to automate the process.
Councillors asked to sign off redundancy plans 24/07/2024 Proposals to save £12m a year by axing hundreds of job posts will be considered by councillors in Hertfordshire next week.
COSLA offers 3.2% pay uplift 18/07/2024 Local government employers in Scotland have made a new pay offer in an effort to resolve the ongoing pay dispute.
Public sector productivity hampered by payroll and HR software limitations 18/07/2024 Nearly half of all public sector organisations across the UK and Ireland are wrangling with payroll and HR systems that are not fit for purpose.
Lambeth leader elected chair of London Councils 17/07/2024 Lambeth Council leader Claire Holland has been elected chair of the cross-party London Councils.
Union slams council’s ‘outrageous’ fire and rehire plan 16/07/2024 Worcestershire County Council is planning to fire and rehire more than 140 employees, despite Labour pledging to ban the practice.
Shropshire could cut 540 job posts 09/07/2024 Shropshire Council could cut 540 full-time equivalent (FTE) posts in a bid to cut costs by becoming a smaller organisation.
South Cambs’ four-day week trial shows ‘positive’ results 08/07/2024 A report into South Cambridgeshire DC’s controversial four-day week trial found the majority of key performance indicators had improved or remained the same.
Council requests fresh appeal over discrimination case 04/07/2024 A council has requested a second appeal over an employment tribunal that found it had racially discriminated against an employee.
Council staff balloted for strike action 25/06/2024 Trade union Unison has announced that Kirklees Council staff at two customer service centres at risk of closure are being balloted for strike action.
Warwickshire staff miss 15,000 days due to poor mental health 21/06/2024 Poor mental health was the biggest reason for sickness absence at Warwickshire County Council last year, a report has revealed.
UNISON: To whoever forms the next government… 14/06/2024 Christina McAnea, general secretary of UNISON, tells LocalGov.co.uk what the sector’s biggest union hopes to see from the next government.
Union calls out council over equal pay claims 10/06/2024 GMB union has written to Brighton and Hove Council around equal pay claims that could be worth tens of millions of pounds.
South Yorkshire mayor could receive £30k pay boost 29/05/2024 The mayor of South Yorkshire could be in line for a pay rise of nearly £30,000.
Council workers’ incomes ‘cut to the bone’, warns union 29/05/2024 Unite has recommended its members reject the latest local government pay offer for England, Wales, and Northern Ireland.
Council employees offered 5.8% pay rise 16/05/2024 Council employees have been offered a pay increase of at least £1,290, which equates to a 5.8% rise for the lowest paid.
Somerset to save £8m with 201 redundancies 16/05/2024 Somerset Council has accepted 201 redundancy applications, which it said would save more than £8m a year.
Oracle project costs soar from £3m to £40m 09/05/2024 The budget for replacing an IT system with Oracle has ballooned from £2.6m to almost £40m, councillors in West Sussex have heard.
Gender-critical social worker awarded over £50k 29/04/2024 A social worker who faced disciplinary action following complaints about her gender critical beliefs will be awarded over £50,000.
Wages below 2008 levels in two thirds of council areas 29/04/2024 Real wages are still below 2008 levels in nearly two-thirds of UK local authority areas, a new TUC analysis has revealed.
10,000 council staff on long-term sick leave 25/04/2024 Nearly 10,000 staff members working in councils across England are currently on long-term sick leave, freedom of information requests have revealed.
Unison warns of looming strike as it awaits pay offer 22/04/2024 Scotland’s largest local government union has warned that strike preparations could begin next week amid growing tensions over pay.
Leveraging data to reverse the planning staff decline 22/04/2024 Scott Goodwin, divisional director Land, Property and Public Protection, Idox, explains how rapid access to easily consumed data can transform planning teams.
Scots government 'unlikely' to create equal pay body 19/04/2024 Scottish Government ministers are unlikely to establish a national equal pay unit, despite calls from the trade union that led to strikes over the issue.
LGA announces 2024/25 Sector Support programme 12/04/2024 The Local Government Association (LGA) has announced the 2024/25 Sector Support programme to help councils ‘deliver critical services to communities.’
Oxford’s workforce issues a ‘significant risk’ 10/04/2024 High staff turnover and difficulty recruiting at Oxford City Council could affect staff morale, wellbeing and absence and ultimately impact service delivery, a report has found.
Dorset Council sets up recruitment firm 10/04/2024 Dorset Council has launched a recruitment company to help fill temporary roles.
Transparency calls over monitoring officer departure 10/04/2024 Salford CC's opposition leader has called for transparency over a settlement agreement The MJ understands was paid to its departing monitoring officer.
LGA calls for powers to withhold members’ address 03/04/2024 Council leaders have repeated their call for legislation enabling councils to withhold councillors' home addresses amid fears of abuse and intimidation.
Oflog chair steps down due to ‘unexpected health reasons’ 27/03/2024 Interim chair of the Office for Local Government (Oflog), Lord Morse, has announced he will be stepping down at the end of March due to ‘health reasons’.
Council to appeal £4.6m employment tribunal payout 18/03/2024 Hammersmith & Fulham LBC has said it will appeal the tribunal’s decision to award a record £4.6m to an employee who was dismissed while on sick leave.
Ex-Conservative councillor faced discrimination by local party 18/03/2024 A former Conservative councillor faced discrimination on the basis of his Muslim faith or Pakistani background, a confidential report has revealed.
Breaking: Brum chief exec steps down 13/03/2024 Birmingham City Council chief executive, Deborah Cadman, has announced her intention to stand down after three years in charge.
Shropshire Council staff offered voluntary redundancy 12/03/2024 Staff at Shropshire Council have been offered voluntary redundancy as part of the local authority's plans to lose 300 full time jobs.
Long-serving council leader to step down 12/03/2024 Sutton council leader Ruth Dombey, one of the longest-serving council leaders in the UK, has announced her intentions to step down.
Leader of cash-strapped Notts council to step down 12/03/2024 The leader of financially stricken Nottingham City Council has announced he is stepping down in May.