Issue - meetings

Human Resources Quarterly Statistics (Quarter Two)

Meeting: 05/11/2020 - Human Resources Committee (Item 233)

233 Human Resources Quarterly Statistics (Quarter Two) pdf icon PDF 328 KB

Minutes:

The HR Officer presented a report to the Committee on HR statistics covering the period July – September 2020.

 

Councillor Ruffles asked why there had been a reduced level of sickness. He asked whether this was due to reduced spread of other illnesses aside from COVID-19 or a lack of reporting when staff had been working from home.

 

The Head of HR and OD said that when staff had been working from home, there were fewer barriers to prevent them working if they were suffering from a minor illness. Lack of a commute and more flexible working arrangements potentially meant staff had been more willing to continue working. Symptom reporting had likely been enhanced due to the Council’s tracking of potential COVID-19 symptoms and infections. The dialogue between staff and their managers had also arguably improved, given there had been an increasing acceptance that staff’s mental well-being was important and may be effected by the ongoing pandemic.

 

The Chairman commented on the reduction in long-term absence. She also asked about provision of training and whether this had been available to complete remotely. The Head of HR and OD said it had and would continue to be.

 

Councillor Newton asked why there had been so many applications for the role of Sustainability Policy and Projects Officer. She also asked about the seemingly low number of staff attending training courses.

 

The HR Officer said the large number of applications was likely a combination of a higher number of people in the job market due to the pandemic, and that sustainability was a specialism growing in popularity and importance.

 

The Head of HR and OD said the reported number of staff attending courses was only for the financial quarter, rather than the whole year as had previously been reported. The number was also made up solely of online courses, as others had been postponed due to the pandemic. However, there had been other informal sessions not accounted for in the figures, such as to support staff’s mental well-being.

 

Councillor Dumont asked whether the decrease in staff turnover could be attributed to an increased appreciation for job security during the pandemic.

 

The Head of HR and OD said that the Council had significantly reduced staff turnover prior to the pandemic, but that the pandemic was also likely to be a further contributory factor.

 

The HR Officer said she believed that the work that had been done to support staff’s well-being also contributed to the reduction.

 

RESOLVED – that the report be noted.