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Hourly Rates
For some sharp-eyed members, you might have spotted that the hourly rates published by NALC differ from the NJC rates. I’m happy to say that there is no error here – they simply use slightly different methods to calculate the hourly rates.
Fortunately, the NALC rate is marginally more generous which benefits our members by a few pence per hour and will only affect part-time staff. It is specifically the divisor used for the number of weeks in the year – NALC uses 52 and NJC uses 52.143 – hopefully that explains the anomaly!
I’m always interested in how the pay scales develop after agreement is reached, as LCC has carried out many pay evaluations since it was launched in 2018.
Pay Evaluation
Pay evaluation is always about the job and not the person doing it. It should be an objective assessment of the requirements of the job, and for clerk posts it should be based on the approach agreed by NALC and SLCC in 2005.
This approach sets out eight elements of the job which can be used to allocate a clerk post to one of the four profiles on the pay scales – LC1 through to LC4.
Clerks and councils can review pay informally using the agreed NALC/SLCC approach and they can also use the joint appeals process to help them reach agreement. Details are in the Advice Note on how to evaluate the clerks job on the SLCC website.
Independent Evaluation
LCC can carry out an independent evaluation of pay levels, particularly if a council is reviewing its staff structure at the same time. Our approach is to use a range of information gathered from research and interviews with staff and members, to analyse the eight elements and draw together specific evidence to support our assessments.
The comprehensive and detailed reports highlight where a job might have more or fewer challenges and responsibilities than others at a similar level. We also carry out an independent review by another experienced consultant to ensure that our evaluations are benchmarked across the sector. A review and evaluation by LCC should stand a council in good stead for a number of years and enable both the clerk and the council to have confidence that pay is set at the right level. We believe pay levels should be fair and equitable within the sector; allowing the council to recruit effectively in the future.
LCC charges a daily rate for its services and a pay evaluation of a single clerk post would typically take less than two days. The council will receive a detailed report setting out our evaluation findings and LCC can also advise on the use of specific spinal column points, for example, to reward development or qualifications.
Finally, our evaluations have been carried out remotely since March 2020 and we will continue to use technology to ensure our associates and customers operate safely whilst delivering the best possible service.
Contact LCC for more details or to receive a quote.
