PERSONNEL COMMITTEE TERMS OF REFERENCE
Purpose of the Committee
1. To ensure:
Prompt Action – any issues needing prompt action can be resolved quickly.
Personal – to adhere to sections of the Data Protection Act; avoid employees feeling nervous appearing in front of full Parish Council; to prevent employee data being discussed in public.
Efficiency – ensuring matters are not left for long periods of time until a meeting, items can be discussed and debated at length with all details within the committee and decisions reached or recommendations made to full Parish Council.
2. Terms of Reference
The Committee shall have delegated powers to deal with all personnel, employment, and recruitment issues, with reports and recommendations made to the full Parish Council if necessary. In cases of emergency that will not wait until the next full Council meeting, the Committee will have full powers to act on behalf of the Council.
Any decision made, or course of action taken by the Committee must be made in the best interest of the Council and Parishioners.
The Committee has the authority to deal with the following:
• Working practices
• Problems reported by staff
• Disciplinary matters
• Complaints and Grievances
• Pay & Conditions
• Advertise for and recruit staff as approved by full Parish Council
• Recommend changes in staffing
• Ensure all current employment legislation is met
• To review and maintain all HR policies/documents
• Any other action as directed by full Parish Council
The Personnel Committee shall not have authority to:
• Terminate a contract of employment, unless the situation which has arisen is a matter of urgency or serious enough that employment cannot continue, such as a Health & Safety violation, serious or gross misconduct etc. The normal procedure is for the Personnel Committee to take a recommendation to the full Parish Council.
• To approve pay increments but does have the authority to discuss and make recommendations to the full Parish Council at precept or other suitable times.
• To create employment positions but can make recommendations to the full Parish Council for a course of action or future plans.
3. Review of the Pay and Conditions of Service of Existing Employees
Every year, not later than the meeting at which the estimates for next year are settled, the Council shall review the pay and conditions of service of existing employees.
4. Annual Appraisals
The Chair will undertake an annual appraisal for the Parish Clerk and the Clerk will undertake an annual appraisal for the Village Caretaker and any other staff employed by the Parish Council. The Personnel Committee will receive a report outlining the outcome of the annual appraisals undertaken. The Personnel Committee will consider any issues raised.
5. Appeals
In the event of any staff appeals, members of the Personnel Committee will not sit on any appeals panel. Members of such panels will be made up from the remaining members of the Parish Council.
6. Membership
Membership of the Personnel Committee shall be 3 Councillors. Membership of the Personnel Committee shall be decided and appointed annually at the Parish Council’s Annual Meeting. If a vacancy occurs, additional members may be elected/co-opted as per the Council’s Standing Orders.
The Chair of the Parish Council will not be a member of the Personnel Committee to enable them to undertake the annual appraisal of the Parish Cleark and chair the Personnel Appeals Sub-Committee.
7. Procedures
The Chair of the Committee will be elected annually by the members of the committee at its first meeting after the Annual Meeting.
Frequency of meetings
The Personnel Committee should meet at least once a year (usually in October/November) prior to the precept meeting.
The Clerk will issue the agenda to attend meetings of the Personnel Committee and provide legal public notice of all meetings.
Quorum
The quorum for the Personnel Committee meeting will be 2.
Minutes
All meetings will be minuted by the Clerk, unless the Clerk is the subject of the matter under consideration. Minutes will be published on the Parish Council website and submitted to the full Parish Council Meeting for information. The Chair of the Personnel Committee will present a confidential report to the full Parish Council meeting setting out any confidential information in support of the decisions/recommendations of the Personnel Committee if required.
Confidentiality
All members must preserve confidentiality of any discussions held under Part 2 of any meeting.
Accountability
The Chair will be responsible for reporting recommendations/actions of the Personnel Committee to the full Parish Council.