The Civility & Respect Project commissioned Chris Moses (Managing Director of Personnel & Advice Solutions) to narrate a series of videos lasting between 20 to 35 minutes on key topics for those involved in employee relations. The videos offer some key actions and plans for councils where their employee relations are in need of a refresh.
One critical area that challenges relationships between councillors and clerks is the council’s responsibility as an employer for the clerk. Councils that support and value their staff can better deliver their objectives and adapt to changing needs or priorities. Whether the council employs a single member of staff for a few hours a week, or a large and varied team of individuals, good employment practice from recruitment to support and development is key to achieving the best outcomes for your communities.
The Civility and Respect Project team have worked with Chris Moses to deliver a series of videos explaining councils' responsibilities as employers. The video links are will take readers to a YouTube channel for NALC - the videos are briefly punctuated by shorts ads, please use the 'skip ads' button to return to the video.
Video 1 — Building an Effective Personnel Committee
In this first video, Chris Moses explains the importance of ensuring local councils have an effective personnel committee, what the responsibilities of the committee are and gives an overview of the critical issues, including:
- Who is best suited to be on the committee?
- Effective terms of reference
- Having the right contacts
- Statutory requirements for effective line management
Video 2 — Recruitment
In this second podcast, Chris Moses covers the critical considerations for councils about recruitment, including:
- Deciding who in the council is responsible for recruitment
- Drafting the person's specification
- Designing the job advert around the needs of the council
- Objective/non-discriminatory selection criteria
- Asking the right questions in the right place at the right time
- Using objective and measurable methods to select the right person
- Entitlement to work in the UK and Inductions
Video 3 — Handling Grievances
In this podcast, Chris Moses covers the critical considerations for councils about handling grievances, including:
- Who do employees complain to, and who has the authority to deal with these situations?
- Investigating complaints informally
- Deciding whether the council can resolve the complaint
- Code of Conduct complaints against councillors
Conducting a formal grievance and appeal hearing - This is an introduction to the subject and should be viewed alongside current grievance policies. In any grievance process, it is so essential that the review panel is made up of impartial and independent councillors, and sometimes it is necessary to seek additional advice or to outsource the case to an HR service provider with specialist local council knowledge.
Video 4 — Handling Disciplinary Situations
In this podcast, Chris Moses covers some of the critical considerations for councils about handling disciplinary situations, including:
- Who has the right within the council to discipline staff?
- Conducting informal investigatory meetings
- Deciding how to support and encourage employees to improve and overcome their conduct/performance issues fairly and reasonably
- What if they don’t improve – formal disciplinary action?
- Getting the formal process and the paperwork right, including dismissals
- This is an introduction to the subject and should be viewed alongside current grievance policies. In any grievance process, it is so essential that the review panel is made up of impartial and independent councillors, and sometimes it is necessary to seek additional advice or to outsource the case to an HR service provider with specialist local council knowledge.
Video 5 — Appraisals
In this podcast, Chris Moses covers some of the critical considerations for councils about appraisals, including:
- The purpose of appraisals
- Picking the correct appraisal form for your council
- How to prepare for the appraisal
- Asking the right questions in the right place and at the right time
- Action plans following appraisals
- Confidentiality
- This is an introduction to the subject. More information and training may be available from your county association, and sometimes it is necessary to seek additional advice from an HR service provider with specialist local council knowledge.
Video 6 — Sickness and Absence
In this podcast, Chris Moses covers some of the critical considerations for councils concerning sickness and absence management, including:
- Understanding the legal position
- Objectively measuring absences
- Conducting reasonable investigations into chronic health issues
- Formal procedures to address the absences
- Making reasonable adjustments to accommodate people with disabilities at work
- Terminating employment through the Capability procedure
- This is an introduction to the subject. More information and training may be available from your county association, and sometimes it is necessary to seek additional advice from an HR service provider with specialist local council knowledge.
