Public Sector Pay Policy for Staff Pay Remits 2009-10

Pay policy for all Scottish public sector bodies whose pay requires the approval of Scottish Ministers.


ANNEX B

PUBLIC SECTOR PAY POLICY 2009-10: APPROVALS PROCESS CHECKLIST

1. We will need the information in this checklist in order to approve your proposals. The Finance Pay Policy Team would be happy have early discussions with you during the planning stages prior to formal submission. Once you are ready to submit your proposals you must check that you have:

(a)

provided confirmation, from your Chief Executive, that your outturn is in line with the approved remit for all years of your last remit (note the outturn for the most recent year will be based on a projection) and provided an explanation if your outturn exceeds the approved remit.

(b)

costed all of your proposed increases in pay and benefits for each year of your current remit, for

  • the Standard Remit Elements; and (if relevant)
  • addressing the Key Pay Policy Priorities.

(c)

completed the pay data sheet of the proforma workbook.

(d)

made proposals within the limits of the three key pay metrics:

  • the Basic Award does not exceed 1.50% in any year;
  • the Standard Remit Elements do not exceed an average Increase for Staff in Post of 3.00% in any year; and
  • the Net Paybill Increase does not exceed 3.00% in any year.

(e)

set out how the proposals will be funded including details of projected savings in the paybill and confirmed that proposals are affordable within existing budgets.

(f)

undertaken a market comparison:

  • using the Scottish Public Sector data; or
  • you have discussed your particular labour market with the Finance Pay Policy Team; and are using more specific or specialist labour market data, taking into account pay and non-pay benefits, demonstrated clear links based on job weightings and comparisons are made on a like-for-like basis

(g)

made proposals over and above the Standard Remit Elements that are targeted at the Key Pay Policy Priorities.

(h)

made proposals for an increase above the Basic Award limit that do not result in pay range maxima being more than, or extending further from, 5% above the medians of the maxima in the relevant labour market.

(i)

where you are making proposals to address the Key Pay Policy Priorities with ongoing cost implications you have included a projection that demonstrates that the resulting Standard Remit Elements will be deliverable within current limit of 3.00% for the ISP in the 3 years following implementation of the propose changes.

(j)

where appropriate you have set out how you intend to resolve an existing contractual commitment and the time frame involved.

(k)

supported your proposals with a business case (see Annex B paragraph 2).

2. When you draft your business case you must take into account the guidance in the accompanying Technical Guide. Your business case needs to support the proposals that you are making and must:

(a)

include a foreword by the Chief Executive that draws out the key points of the pay remit proposals;

(b)

briefly summarise the existing progression and bonus arrangements and set out, if and, how you are proposing to change them;

(c)

where appropriate support any proposals to change existing arrangements for progression, non-consolidated payments and any consolidated performance payments;

(d)

set out your strategy on Total Reward;

(e)

where appropriate provide information and evidence to support proposals that are targeted at the Key Pay Policy Priorities which:

  • make increases with on-going cost implications;
  • make one-off increases in pay or non-pay benefits;
  • increase benefits or non-pay rewards.

(f)

where appropriate, supports the use of particular labour market data as the relevant labour market by demonstrating that it reflects organisations with whom you actively compete for staff, demonstrates that there is a clear link, based on job weightings, between the posts being compared and comparisons are on a like-for-like basis;

(g)

set out the results of your equal pay review, a risk assessment and the steps you propose to take to address any inequalities;

(h)

where appropriate provide evidence of any staff turnover issues and demonstrate that they are related to pay;

(i)

where appropriate provide evidence of the extent of any difficulties recruiting staff, whether the difficulties relate to particular grades, specialisms or locations and provide information on the levels of pay that you have had to pay to recruit staff;

(j)

where appropriate, provide evidence of the extent of the difficulties retaining staff (the number of individuals leaving the organisation for reasons other than retirement, early severance, or redundancy);

(k)

where appropriate, provide quantitative evidence of difficulties motivating staff and demonstrate that pay is the likely underlying cause;

(l)

where appropriate, provide information on why the level of turnover is problematic and demonstrate that it prevents you delivering your outcomes;

(m)

take into account the "Solidarity" target in the Scottish Government's Economic Strategy;

(n)

where appropriate, make a case for reducing or maintaining differentials in pay by providing information on the benefits of doing so and, if relevant, the time-frame over which you anticipate any differences being removed or reduced;

(o)

where appropriate, set out how you will make sure that full details of your outturn can be provided in future; and

(p)

where appropriate, explain why the remit was submitted outside the agreed timetable.

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