Issue - meetings

That the Workforce Information report for Quarter 3 be noted. 

The Managed Agency Contract Manager introduced a report to provide Members with an update for the third quarter for 2014/15 for the following:-

·         Headcount and Full Time Equivalent

·         Organisational Age Profile

·         Employee Turnover and Stability (including redundancies and early retirements)

·         Attendance (including 100% attendance)

·         Performance Appraisals and Development

·         Resource Management (including recruitment and agency workers)

·         Equality and Diversity

He explained that the information was being presented in a dashboard format to provide a visual presentation of the data showing the current status and historical trends of the Council’s performance against key performance indicators.  He provided details of the total headcount, turnover, agency spend and days lost for sickness and explained that the agency spend for 2014/15 had exceeded the target of £1.83m at the end of quarter 3.  This was due to the increased need for agency workers within Streetscene and Transportation as the vacancies at operative level currently stood at 57.  The days lost per full time equivalent (FTE) was 9.78 at 31 December 2014, which exceeded the target of 9.60 days, and was an increase of 1.30 on the figure at 31 December 2013. 

            Councillor Clive Carver queried the high numbers of employees who were shown as ‘not stated’ under Ethnicity and Sexual Orientation on pages 160 and 169 and asked whether a form could be issued to all employees during their appraisal to encourage them to provide the information.  In response, the Managed Agency Contract Manager explained that the information was recorded by employees on the Itrent Self Service database.   but a large number of employees did not have access to Itrent to allow them to input the information.  The Chief Officer (Governance) agreed that officers would consider ways to increase the coverage of the data and would provide details of the findings to the Committee. 

            In referring to the sickness figures reported of 10.34 days per FTE, Councillor Peter Curtis raised significant concern about the high target and suggested that this should be reduced to a maximum of 3 days.  He felt that productivity would be affected by the high rates of sickness and could also affect service delivery.  The Human Resources Manager explained that work was undertaken with services, particularly those with a high rate of sickness, on how to reduce sickness rates and she added that a number or services had levels of sickness lower than the target figure.  Councillor Marion Bateman highlighted the high rate of sickness within the Streetscene directorate.  She also queried why the information on the sexual orientation of employees was required and in response, the Managed Agency Contract Manager explained that the Authority was expected to provide data on ethnicity and diversity on an annual basis.  He added that the information was requested when applicants completed an application form for vacancies with the Council.  The Chief Officer (Governance) explained that recruitment was currently low and that a large number of staff had commenced employment with the Authority prior to information on ethnicity and diversity being requested with application forms.  ...  view the full minutes text for item 82