Issue - meetings

The Chief Executive introduced a revised Flexible Retirement Policy for approval which was one of a number of policies that were being updated.

                        Under the current policy there was no minimum amount that an employee could request to reduce their hours or salary and consequently, the benefits of flexible retirement were not maximised from the Council’s perspective.  To remedy that, the Council was recommending a new criteria for the approval of Flexible Retirements and a revised policy.  The following revisions were recommended:

• To reduce contractual working hours/salary by at least 20% (or equivalent to 20% reduction)
• Reduction of hours/salary must apply for 12 months after implementation date
• An employee must give an indication of their planned or projected retirement date

Following the implementation of the new Operating Model and the Chief Officer team, the consideration of Flexible Retirement applications would take place via a recruitment panel involving the relevant portfolio Chief Officer, the Chief Officer for People and Resources and the Chief Finance / S151 Officer.

Flexible Retirement applications would be considered in accordance with the criteria detailed in the report.

The revised policy stipulated that the Council would only consider applications where there was no service requirement to backfill reduced hours and where identified savings would be released to the corporate centre.

RESOLVED:

That the Flexible Retirement Policy and associated procedures be supported and approved.