Agenda item

Joint report of the Comptroller and City Solicitor and the Director of Human Resources.

The Committee received a joint report of the Comptroller and City Solicitor and the Director of Human Resources providing Members with the annual review of the Protocol on Member/Officer Relations and highlighting any related issues that have arisen during 2019. The report also included commentary from the Comptroller and City Solicitor on Employment Tribunal cases in the past year.

A Member underlined the importance of paragraph 3 (3) of the Protocol (stating that it is not the role of Members to involve themselves in the detail of day to day management of the Corporation’s services) and suggested that this ought to continue to be emphasised to Members.

A Member referred to paragraph 12 (3) (a) of the Protocol on Member/Officer Relations and suggested that it would be useful for future Chief Commoners to meet with the Comptroller and City Solicitor upon taking office to clarify their disciplinary role in this context.

In response to a question on the number of formal grievances dealt with each year, the Director of Human Resources clarified that these were reported on in greater detail to the Establishment Committee and that that Committee also received information as to how this number compared with previous years.

RESOLVED – That, Members note the report.