To receive and if so determined, to approve as a correct record the Minutes of the meeting held on 14 December 2015.

RESOLVED: That the Minutes of the meeting held on 14December 2016 be approved as a correct record.

To consider a report of the Acting Director of Human Resources.

The Acting Director of Human Resources (HR) presented a report detailing employee responses to the consultation on the proposals for Mandatory and additional Voluntary unpaid leave to the committee. The report detailed the proposals, the consultation process, the outcome of the consultation and the resulting recommendations. The appendix of the report contained the comments received from staff during the consultation period.

Committee Members discussed the responses received from staff. It was agreed that the ideal position would be to achieve these savings entirely through voluntary additional leave rather than mandatory leave. The committee welcomed the change to the recommendations so that the 3 days’ mandatory unpaid leave is extended for one additional year before reviewing it again rather than the two years originally proposed.

The Committee noted that a collective agreement was not reached with the recognised trade unions and welcomed that HR will continue to discuss the policy with them over the course of the year.

The Committee requested that the results of the promotion of Voluntary leave to staff be brought to the committee in the summer of 2016/17 municipal year.

RESOLUTION:

1)    That the responses from the recognised trade Unions and staff members are noted.

2)    That the proposal to extend the 3 days mandatory unpaid leave arrangement for one further year, until 31^st March 2017 be approved by the committee.

3)    That the provision for a simplified voluntary additional unpaid leave arrangement be approved by the Committee.

4)    That the results of the promotion of voluntary additional leave be brought to the committee in summer 2016/17.