Agenda item

The Chairman said that there had been an increase in turnover, sickness and absence. However, it was too early in the year to draw meaningful conclusions from this data and it had been agreed that this would be monitored over the rest of the year.

Councillor McMullen said that there had been a lot of retirements within Planning and asked if these were genuine retirements or whether these Officers were taking up other work elsewhere. He also asked whether there had been any instances of staff resigning when told furlough was ending.

The Head of HR and OD said that all of the retirements were genuine, although one Officer had agreed to return on a fixed-term basis. The pandemic had made staff think twice in terms of making choices about retiring or resigning, and it was natural that this would then correct itself. The pandemic had also prompted employees to consider lifestyle choices which could have caused staff to choose to retire. Only staff from Hertford Theatre had been eligible for furlough and many had been made redundant at the conclusion of the scheme.

Councillor Bull said that he hoped to see an increase in engagement from Planning, as the turnover of staff had made it difficult for Members to forge good working relationships or know who to contact for assistance with planning matters.

The Head of HR and OD said that the Planning department was growing and undergoing a restructure. The pressure on Planning was not unique to the Council, although there was the additional burden stemming from Harlow and Gilston.

The Chairman read a detailed tribute to the HR and OD Co-ordinator which outlined her history and achievements at the Council. The Chairman, on behalf of the whole Committee, thanked her for her dedication and commitment over the years.

The Head of HR and OD said that the HR and OD Co-ordinator had agreed to return after her leave date to deliver some training and complete a handover to her successor, which encapsulated her attitude throughout her 23 years of service.

The Chairman asked what the level of uptake had been amongst staff for the mandatory e-learning. The HR and OD Co-ordinator said that it had been approximately 70%. Further training was now being prepared for introduction in December 2021.

The Head of HR and OD said that safeguarding and data protection training had been re-developed in partnership with the relevant service managers. The data protection training would likely be sold on to other local authorities to generate income. Email etiquette training had also been developed and this was currently being refined. It would likely be rolled out in November.

The HR and OD Co-ordinator said that menopause training had been very well received, with organised sessions for managers and staff as well as drop-in sessions. There had also been courses available to staff on time management, with a specific focus on supporting apprentices to manage their educational and work responsibilities.

RESOLVED – that the report be received and considered.