Employment and Pay
This page contains resources and links to help your council manage staff policies and pay.
Changes in legislation will have an impact on the information here which is believed to be correct at the time of publication. Advice will be issued by third party providers as required. LRALC is not responsible for the content of external websites.
Your town or parish council is the employer
Do you know what that involves for each of the following?
- salary
- tax
- national insurance
- pension
- benefits
- sickness absence
- annual leave
- record keeping
- financial reporting
- legal compliance
Managing all of this will often be dealt with by your clerk or RFO, a council employee. However, if any of it is not dealt with correctly, it will be the council as the employer which will be in breach of the statutory responsibilities. It will be council that has to deal with financial penalties from HMRC if these arise.
So what does your council need to know?
Your council's Financial Regulations should set out your policies and procedures for the payment of salaries. This includes record keeping, approval of payments, PAYE and NI obligations. Some of the relevant legislation (but not all) is included here:
Recruitment and appraisal?
Available from LRALC website
Policies
Maternity and paternity leave, annual leave, carers leave, emergency or dependents leave, compassionate leave?
Flexible working, sickness absence, homeworking, lone working?
Grievance and disciplinary?
Model contract? Current pay scales?
If you don't have them, would you know where to find them?
These and many other policies and documents are available from the NALC website. NALC member login required. NALC documents including draft policies are protected by copyright for the use of member councils only. Member councils may tailor and adapt template policies as appropriate to use within their own council.