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Case study: Equal Pay - Hertfordshire County Council
Hertfordshire County Council, in partnership with their recognised trade union, Unison, undertook an Equal Pay Audit. The audit consisted of a number of projects that culminated in the development of an Equal Pay Action Plan setting out how the County Council aims to ensure pay equality. The work included:
- Development of a joint commitment to equal pay, setting out the Council’s principles which were communicated to all employees
- Policy Impact Assessment to understand the level of risk presented by existing pay practices and procedures
- A ‘Healthcheck’ (audit of pay) for an overview of the Council’s pay data and any trends of pay inequality.
All the findings now form part of an Equal Pay Action Plan setting out the Council’s objectives to address equal pay over the coming years.
Work has initially focused on achieving pay transparency across the organisation and working on developing a simple pay policy document for managers The aim of this is to ensure consistency of application of pay across the organisation
The County Council has also re-trained all job evaluation experts to ensure the methodology is applied effectively and efficiently so that there is no bias within the scheme.
Future plans include ensuring that equal pay principles are embedded in all HR policies and procedures and that there is increased awareness by managers and employees across the organisation around pay principles. The Council is also considering projects to coach senior managers to work more flexibly.
