Employee handbook

1. As our collective success relies on the talent and contribution of all staff, the SPCB, as an employer, values and rewards all of its staff for what they contribute and achieve.

2. Our approach to pay and reward aims to reflect the aspirations of our Strategic Plan, values, long-term interests, and our commitment to delivering value for money. In this context, attracting and nurturing a vibrant mix of talent with a range of backgrounds, skills, and capabilities – in good times and even more so in challenging times – enables us to grow and thrive, and ultimately deliver service excellence.

3. We have implemented many initiatives to achieve our ambitions within diversity and equal pay. We regularly perform internal reviews in order to ensure we live up to our ambitions.

What is the purpose of this policy?

4. This Policy will enable us to attract, recruit, engage and retain diverse and talented people at all levels.

5. It reflects fairness and equity of opportunity, based on our commitment to operate a transparent pay and grading structure. It also encourages and enables our people to perform to the best of their ability.

How will this be achieved?

6. To strike the right balance between reward, cost, and sustainability, and competitiveness, fairness, and equity our approach is guided by the following principles.

• We aim to be clear about what people are paid for and why and to be fair, consistent, systematic, and transparent in applying our policies.
• We will adopt policies and practices that contribute to pursuing complete equity among staff.
• Our approach to recruitment is to offer a compensation package which is sufficient to attract, retain and motivate people with the right skills and experience for the required role.
• All new staff, whether recruited internally or externally, will be appointed to the first scale point of the grade for their role.
• There will be at least 5% gap between grades to ensure that staff are appropriately rewarded when promoted from one grade to another.
• People who perform satisfactorily in their role will progress incrementally from the first scale point of the grade for their role, at the rate of one scale point per year, until they reach the target rate.
• Incremental progress will take place on 1 April each year, except in circumstances where a new member of staff (including existing members of staff who are permanently promoted to a new grade) has less than 6 months’ service on the grade by the 1 April. In that case, incremental progression will take place on the day following the date on which 6 months’ service on the grade has been achieved.
• We will ensure there is sufficient flexibility to consider the pay market and recruitment and retention factors.
• Additional payments such as pay supplements, allowances, and overtime rates will support and enable the delivery of our services and will reflect the way in which our people are required to work.
• The need for effective financial management of our total pay bill will inform all of our pay and reward policies and approach and will make the most effective use of resources.
• Our policies and practices will be as simple as possible to minimise levels of bureaucracy.
• People involved in the decision relating to pay and reward will be mindful of unconscious bias, diversity, and will demonstrate a commitment to pay equity.
• Negotiations of pay and reward with our trade union partners will be undertaken after SPCB approval.
• Salaries will be reviewed annually on 1 April with no commitment to uplift.

What are the expected outcomes of this policy?

7. As a result of effectively applying these principles we will be able to demonstrate that our approach to pay and reward:

• Is fair, equitable, affordable, and sufficiently competitive in relation to other public sector employers.
• Promotes our long-term performance, as well as operational and financial performance over short and medium term.

Who does what?

8. The roles and responsibilities are:

The SPCB is accountable for:

• Setting the annual pay negotiation remit and endorsing and upholding the principles of this Policy.

The Clerk/Chief Executive, in the role as the Principal Accountable Officer, is accountable for ensuring:

• The SPCB is appropriately advised so that it can make decisions that are affordable.
• Our pay and reward arrangements are designed to achieve their intended impact.

The Group Head of People and Culture is accountable for:

• Leading the pay and reward activities and for monitoring that the principles of this Policy are upheld.
• Making recommendations to the SPCB regarding this Policy and any exceptional pay and reward activity for staff outside of this Policy.
• Agreeing appropriate action to be taken if any principles or processes are not upheld.

The Head of People Services, Diversity and Inclusion is responsible for:

• Providing clarity for people by translating our pay and reward arrangements into contracts of employment and producing clear communications.
• Benchmarking with the external market to verify the competitiveness and the adequacy of the pay and reward offering. This will ensure we are able to attract, recruit and retain high quality staff.

How often will this Policy be reviewed?

9. This Policy will be monitored and reviewed in line with the process for all People Policies.

Has this Policy been Equality Impact Assessed?

10. Yes. A full assessment has been carried out by Neil Mackie, Head of People Services, Diversity and Inclusion.