Issue - meetings

Sarah McCluskey (HR Business Partner) presented the report outlines. She stated that the current staff benefits contract has been in place since 2015 and is up for renewal in June 2020. Sarah McCluskey continued that the purpose of the report is to propose the way forward for staff benefits and seek member endorsement. There are currently several schemes in place, including: childcare vouchers, cycling to work and online discounts; they are looking at increasing these schemes for staff. Benefits that are being investigated are buying leave, a green car scheme, shared-cost local government pension scheme, a financial wellbeing scheme and a travel to work season ticket.

Sarah McCluskey informed the committee that each scheme can be complex, so they are seeking external advice with pensions and HMRC (HM Revenue and Customs) as well as colleagues from finance and legal. When these consultations have concluded they will look at which schemes to implement and when.

The report sets out the savings achieved with the current schemes since September 2015; the childcare voucher scheme saved staff members over £2 million and employees have saved £43,000 with the cycle to work scheme. The committee was informed that the ‘salary sacrifice scheme’ benefits employees as they do not pay NI or PAYE tax.

There would be positive environmental implications if the green car scheme is approved as it would encourage driving low emission cars.

It was clarified that there is a current scheme in place where there are ‘pool cars’ which staff members can use for council business. It is more beneficial for the Council, if pool cars are used by staff members for long journeys, rather than driving their own cars and claiming millage expenses. The committee was informed that all mileage claims need to be approved by a line manager and these claims must follow the policies in place regarding pool cars.

Councillor Gifford reiterated that the Council should be pushing for staff to utilise the low emission pool cars. He asked for the figures of staff members utilising the pool cars for journeys over 100 miles in comparison to staff who claim millage for their personal cars. In response to the Chair, Sarah McCluskey agreed to see if this data was available and share it will the committee if possible.

Councillor Bob Stevens raised that charging points would need to be installed as an incentive for using electric cars; he added that all future pool cars should be electric following the climate emergency declaration. Councillor Stevens and Councillor Gifford concurred that now is the opportunity for the incentive for staff members to use the pool cars over their own cars.

In response to Councillor Gifford, the Chair stated that electric cars are expensive, and the Council cannot dictate which car staff use despite the environmental and financial incentives with the pool cars.

It was agreed that if Sarah McCluskey cannot obtain the relevant information regarding the pool car usage, the committee will investigate ensuring staff utilise these pool cars when possible.  ...  view the full minutes text for item 3