Issue - meetings

A report setting out criteria for the one-off staff recognition payments within the approved budget contained in the 2024/25 estimates.

Consideration was given to a proposed one-off staff recognition payment within an approved budget of £50,000 as included in the  approved Estimates 2024/25.  The sum to be divided equally amongst all staff was intended as a ‘thank you’ payment in recognition of their contribution to the authority, the Borough and its communities and to mark and celebrate 50 years of Tonbridge and Malling Borough Council. 

The proposal was a Cabinet led initiative and not linked to any wider Borough Council policies on staff pay and reward.  It was also a one-off standalone payment and not a recurring annual payment.  Any amount above £50,000 as a result of national insurance contributions and superannuation payments would be met from the organisations management savings on salaries.

Details of the criteria for staff to receive the payment were set out in 1.3 of the report.

Members recognised the role of staff in maintaining and delivering services during the pandemic and the cost-of-living crisis and welcomed the opportunity to reward this hard work.  There was also discussion on performance related pay and rewarding exceptional service.  However, the challenge in quantifying performance across many different services and roles made this difficult to manage.  The current proposal rewarded all staff equally regardless of grade. It was also noted that the Management Team had declined to accept this pay reward.

The Chair proposed that the General Purposes Committee record appreciation  to all staff for their efforts in supporting residents and communities within the Tonbridge and Malling Borough Council area.  This was supported unanimously by Members.

RESOLVED:  That

(1)             the one-off staff recognition payment of £150 each be approved as set out in the report; and

(2)             the General Purposes Committee formally record appreciation to all staff for their efforts in supporting residents and communities within the Tonbridge and Malling Borough Council area.