Councillors have approved a new pay and benefits package for officers despite concerns it could lead to “unconscious bias”.
The measures will see the introduction of a £1,000 performance bonus for the top 5% of staff at Lichfield District Council.
The proposals will also see the addition of private healthcare insurance for workers along with a referral bonus for those who help recruit new colleagues.
A meeting of the local authority was told that the cost of the new package was not expected to exceed £100,000.
Cllr Rob Strachan, cabinet member for finance, said the move was necessary in order to ensure the council remained an exciting proposition for existing and new staff.
“There was a time the public sector was an attractive and well remunerated place to work, but waves of regulation and pay policy shifting have eroded that.
“In turn that erosion of the way of life in the public sector means we are losing talented staff to the private sector.
“Public sector pay policy and equal pay means that wide ranging pay increases are very challenging to deliver and risk significantly backfiring – I was even cautious about this, but those fears have been allayed by checks and balances.
“The point of needing to retain staff is every bit as important as attracting staff.
“I have an aspiration to make Lichfield District Council a truly exceptional place to work. This proposal is a sector leading proposal. It is designed to retain staff, designed to attract staff and fill vacancies so aspiring young planners, for example, will want to work at a council where they are treated appropriately and fairly.
“This is more than just improving terms of employment – it’s about improving how the council treats staff, attracts staff and retains their staff.”
Cllr Rob Strachan
Liberal Democrat representative Cllr Miles Trent told the meeting that while looking after staff was important, checks needed to be in place to ensure the move did not have unintended consequences.
“On performance related bonuses, I think there’s a lot that is good about this and I have witnessed in my professional life difficulties finding and retaining talented staff in public sector roles.
“Bonuses can play their part in attracting and retaining talent, but there is a risk it may alienate good officers, so we should proceed with caution.”
Cllr Miles Trent
“Cultural fit”
Labour’s Cllr Claire Booker said she also had concerns over some aspects of the new pay proposals, including references to seeking a “cultural fit” for the organisation.
“We support the idea of bringing us head and shoulders above other councils, but the language used is a concern as well – this is not the private sector, it is the public sector.
“It [a performance bonus] can be very divisive if it is for just a set proportion. If just 5% of the workforce get it, then the the one person just below that quota doesn’t become very motivated.
“The language of ‘cultural fit’ also carries a risk of bringing in unconscious bias.
“When we see a good cultural fit it means that’s the sort of people we naturally gravitate to and we can end up unconsciously not having a diverse workforce.”
Cllr Claire Booker
Conservative member Cllr Thomas Marshall said councillors were overthinking concerns over the language used.
“I’m concerned at interpretation is being taken too literally. The term ‘cultural fit’ is nothing more than us looking at people of a similar ethos; like-minded people.
“The culture is talking about people having the same frame of mind in terms of promoting this council and doing the best job they can. Our culture is one of hard work and dedication.”
But Cllr Marshall’s comments drew criticism from Labour group leader Cllr Sue Woodward.
She said:
“The very fact he doesn’t see cultural fit can have many different interpretations does show evidence of unconscious bias.”
Cllr Sue Woodward
Cllr Woodward’s deputy, Cllr Dave Robertson added:
“It is absolutely vital we tackle scourge of unconscious bias – it is fundamental to making sure everyone working at Lichfield District Council is valued on the merit of their deeds not who they are.
“I’d advise Cllr Marshall to read literally anything that’s ever been written about unconscious bias.”
Cllr Dave Robertson
The proposal was approved despite the Labour group abstaining from the vote on the new pay policy statement.
