Date www.local.gov.uk

Pay me what I’m worth

Sarah MessengerHead of WorkforceLocal Government Association

Insert date www.local.gov.uk

A quick tour through history• Mid 90s – Single Status

– 13 factor scheme to deal with “blue and white-collar” jobs

– Comparing jobs that had not previously been compared

– Slow progress around turn of century often due to failure to agree choice of scheme, local conventions, benchmark roles

– The bureaucracy of JE came to be seen as a problem

A quick tour through history• The noughties and the equal pay

crisis– Questions over bonus schemes

drive need to complete local pay reviews, NWNF lawyers involved

– 2004 agreement; 3 years to complete reviews

– Progress on JE processes but tribunals curtail job enhancement, pay protection etc.

– Majority reach agreement and at some expense, local government achieves one of the lowest pay gaps in Europe

Outcomes • Just over half of councils use NJC Scheme but most have

similar outcomes whatever scheme used• Grades with 5 incremental points on average, butt-ended,

majority of staff assimilated at mid-point

• Low-risk in equal pay terms• JE now seen as standard

process when jobs are changed

BUT• Sense that this can stifle

change

What is the problem we are trying to solve?

• How to use JE properly in the new world of public services, integrated workforces, commercialisation?

• We have significant recruitment challenges for some roles

• The bureaucracy is out of keeping with fleet-of-foot, fluid organisations

• How to use JE to measure our new role requirements?

The way forwardAT LEAST• More effective use of market pay levels • Change the traditional approach• Make sure the NJC scheme uses the right

language• Make more effective use of benchmarked

role profiles

MORE CHALLENGING…• Does the NJC scheme have the right

factors? Do we need another scheme?• PRP? Pay for behaviours?

What is the LGA doing?• Reviewed NJC scheme advice and guidance

with the unions (continuing activity)– Focus on dealing with new types of job with

up-to-date language and on critical responsibility and knowledge factors

– All technical notes updated and new ones added

– Large group of benchmark role profiles created

• Developing action learning day to enable colleagues to work through scenarios