Agenda item - Review of the Code of Conduct for Employees

RESOLVED: That the Committee recommended the Council’s revised Code of Conduct for Employees to full Council for approval.

67.1      The Committee considered the report of the Executive Lead Officer for Strategy, Governance & Law.  The report was introduced by Victoria Simpson, Senior Lawyer and Liz Boswell, Lead Consultant, Reward & Policy. The Senior Lawyer asked the Committee to note that the overall aim was to update the rules regulating the conduct of council employees, which form a key part of the Council’s Constitution. The Committee’s earlier discussion about the demands on those officers involved in letting contracts on behalf of the authority highlighted the clear need to ensure that the rules which specify the expectations of officers who let council contracts are made as clear as possible.

67.2        Councillor Gilbey asked for clarification regarding the working time directive on the maximum working hours for staff, since she was concerned about the health and safety of staff working longer hours, she asked how the council monitored this.  The Lead Consultant, Reward & Policy replied that working long hours was an important health and safety risk which could result in errors and accidents.  She confirmed that it was made clear to staff that they should not take on more work than they could manage and that staff had to report to managers if they were taking on another job outside or within the council and a risk assessment would then be made as to whether they could take this on safely. She confirmed that this was a commitment made by staff when they started working for the council.  The Executive Director, Finance & Resources replied that an audit had already been requested on this issue, for this quarter and therefore a future report on this subject would soon be submitted to this Committee.  Councillor Yates stated that, in addition to the issue of the maximum hours staff could work per week, there was also the issue of the length of rest periods for staff, under the working time directive and he asked whether all of these issues would be picked up within the proposed audit and the Executive Director, Finance & Resources replied that he would ensure that all of these issues were addressed.

67.3      The Chair enquired how employees would be informed of any of these changes and the Lead Consultant, Reward & Policy replied that every new member of staff would take part in induction training which would involve receiving information according to maintained checklist. Employees continue to be kept informed via a number of sources, including through their managers and via staff communications on The Wave.

67.4      RESOLVED: That the Committee recommended the Council’s revised Code of Conduct for Employees to full Council for approval.