Item 9 - 2025 Public Holidays for Renfrewshire Council Local Government Employees
Renfrewshire Council · 12 September 2024
Back to Finance, Resources and Customer Services Policy Board — 12 September 2024 and its agenda
Text extracted from the council's PDF. Layout and reading order may differ from the original.
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___________________________________________________________________ To: Finance, Resources & Customer Services Policy Board On: 12 September 2024 ___________________________________________________________________ Report by: Report by the Director of Finance & Resources ___________________________________________________________________ Heading: 2025 Public Holidays for Local Government Employees ___________________________________________________________________ 1. Summary 1.1 In accordance with established practice and the Council’s Statement of Particulars of Employment for Local Government Employees, members of the Finance, Resources and Customer Services Policy Board each year approve the dates of the 12 fixed public holidays, plus the 1 day of no work requirement. The 1 day of no work requirement is provided to Local Government Employees who are generally employed in non-essential services (traditionally office-based roles). 1.2 The 1 day of no work requirement falls between Christmas and New Year and came into effect in October 2009 following the implementation of a package of revised terms and conditions of employment. As part of that 2009 agreement, the Council closes for all non-essential services for 3 days between the Christmas and New Year public holidays, effectively meaning a 2-week closure. 1.3 Employees are required to retain and use 2 days of their annual leave to cover the first 2 days of closure with the 3rd day being allocated as a day of no work requirement. The day of no work requirement primarily benefits traditional office- based employees and varies each year but is normally the workday preceding New Year’s Day. 1.4 Members are asked to note that Council officers are in discussions with trade union colleagues with a view to modernising public holiday entitlement for Local Government Employees.
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1.5 Following benchmarking information received from 31 Councils across Scotland, the Council is one of a small number of Councils still providing 12 fixed public holidays. Benchmarking information confirms that Councils are currently providing public holiday entitlements ranging from 6 days to 12 days, with the average number of public holidays provided being 8 days. 1.6 Therefore, Council officers are proposing plans to convert 6 of the current 12 public holidays into annual leave days for employees, retaining the following fixed public holidays: New Year (1st and 2nd January), Good Friday (18th April), Easter Monday (21st April), Christmas (25th and 26th December). 1.7 The ways in which the Council works just now are very different to how it worked before the pandemic, with future service delivery continuing to evolve, as our communities expect and have become accustomed with. 1.8 The proposed changes, if agreed with the trade unions, and approved by members would impact approx. 6400 local government colleagues, (excluding teachers), who work a range of different working pattens, for example part time, full time, and 4 days on, 4 days off shifts etc. The proposal would provide all employees with more flexibility to decide when to use their 6 converted annual leave days throughout the year, and support services to continue evolving, making them more flexible and accessible in future. 1.9 An initial assessment of our workforce data over the last 3 years highlights that approx. 15% of this workforce regularly work on either a scheduled rota or an overtime basis, on these 6 fixed public holidays, and therefore may be financially impacted as enhanced rates of pay would no longer be applicable for these days. 1.10 The key groups of employees within the 15% impacted by this proposal include those who work in Health and Social Care Partnership and Environment, Housing, and Infrastructure, for example, Home Care Workers, Social Care Workers, Residential Workers, Streetscene and Waste Operatives, Drivers, and Community Support Officers. 1.11 Equality data held on these employees highlights that no age or gender group would be disproportionately impacted by the proposals, with 55% aged 50 years and over and 55% being female. Due to equality data information being optional for employees to disclose and the Council having recorded limited information on other protected characteristics such as race, disability sexual orientation etc, Council officers have considered the information available, and cannot identify any disproportionate impacts on these groups as all employees regardless of their protected characteristic will be able to gain from increased flexibility of when they could take their leave.
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1.12 Over the next couple of months, Council officers will consider a range of mitigations to minimise or eliminate any potential financial impact on employees and will continue discussions with trade union colleagues over the proposed changes, aiming to reach full agreement. The proposals will be subject to a full external equality impact assessment, carried out by the Council’s appointed technical adviser who supports on matters of pay and conditions of service. ___________________________________________________________________ 2. Recommendations 2.1 Subject to full agreement being reached with trade unions, members are asked to approve the changes to public holidays as detailed at section 1.6, effective from 1 January 2025. 2.2 Members are asked to note that Council Officers will provide an update on discussions with Trade Union Colleagues at the next Finance, Resources and Customer Services Policy Board scheduled for 21 November 2024. _________________________________________________________ Implications of the Report 1. Financial – Analysis from the last 3 years of workforce data shows that converting the chosen 6 public holidays into annual leave entitlement for this group of employees could generate annual sayings to the Council of around £350k in enhanced payments currently paid on these days. To reach agreement with the trade unions on these proposals, it is anticipated that Council officers may require to agree and offer a one-off compensation payment to those detailed in section 1.10 of this report who may be at a financial detriment. 2. HR & Organisational Development – If approved, HR&OD will require to change the contracts of employment for those impacted to reflect the change in public holiday and annual leave entitlement. HR&OD will also provide guidance and training to managers to assist them with annual leave cover arrangements ensuring that essential services continue to be provided over public holiday periods and annual leave is allocated fairly. 3. Community/Council Planning – None. 4. Legal - None 5. Property/Assets – None 6. Information Technology – None
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7. Equality & Human Rights - The Recommendations contained within this report have been initially assessed in relation to their impact on equalities and human rights. Summary findings are detailed within the context of the report. No negative impacts on equality groups or potential for infringement of individuals’ human rights have been identified arising from the recommendations contained in the report. If required following implementation, the actual impact of the recommendations and the mitigating actions will be reviewed and monitored, and the results of the assessment will be published on the Council’s website. 8. Health & Safety – None. 9. Procurement – None 10. Risk – None. 11. Privacy Impact – None. 12. Climate Risk – None. 13. Children’s Rights – None. 14. Cosla Policy Position – None. _______________________________________________________ List of Background Papers - None ___________________________________________________________________ Author: Raymond Cree, Head of People and Organisational Development Email: raymond.cree@renfrewshire.gov.uk