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.


2. STRATEGIC AIMS AND OBJECTIVES

What are the strategic aims of Public Sector Pay Policy?

2.1 The Scottish Government's policy on public sector pay has three strategic aims:

a) To make sure that public sector pay settlements are affordable and sustainable and, through the targeting of resources, that value for money is secured;

b) To provide flexibility within an overarching policy for public bodies to determine the pay and reward systems that are right for their business needs; and

c) To work towards making sure that pay is fair and non-discriminatory.

What are the objectives of Public Sector Pay Policy in Scotland?

2.2 From these strategic aims, Public Sector Pay Policy has a number of objectives:

a) public sector employees to be fairly rewarded for the work that they do;

b) public sector employers to recruit, motivate and retain able and committed staff;

c) public sector employers address low pay;

d) pay to be related to performance;

e) exceptional performance to be rewarded by non-consolidated payments;

f) public sector employers to address, over a reasonable period of time taking account of legal requirements, any equalities issues in pay and reward systems and structures;

g) public sector pay range maxima or target rates to be in line with the medians of the maxima in the relevant labour market;

h) public resources to be used effectively and for public bodies to secure value for money;

i) a total reward approach to be taken to public sector pay, including non-pay rewards as well as increases in basic pay;

j) issues impacting on the delivery of outcomes by public bodies to be addressed;

k) pay settlements to be made on the settlement dates when they become due; and

l) public sector employers to confirm that the outturn is in line with the approved pay remit and for those part-way through multi-year settlements to provide a statement of assurance that the assumptions for delivering paybill savings are still valid and achievable.

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