What is the Council's salary system supposed to do?
- Details
- Published: Tuesday, 31 May 2011 10:31
The parties to the Award recognised the importance of providing some standard obligations on councils for minimum requirements in their salary systems. If there were no obligations, some councils would never review rates of pay, provide progression or anything else.
Clause 7 Salary System ensures that each council has a salary system which provides:
- Employees are paid a rate recognising the skills applied on the job.
- A structure on top of the entry-level and steps for progression over and above the entry level.
- All positions are provided with a grade(s) in the structure and the position can expand across more than one grade.
- Progression is based "on the acquisition and use of skills. Where skills-based progression is not reasonably available within the salary range for the position, employees shall have access to progression based on the achievement of performance objectives relating to the provision." Performance objectives are set in consultation with the employee.
- Skills for progression are to be assigned to each step in the grade or set at the annual assessment "provided that such criteria shall provide an opportunity to progress through the salary system."
- Unless otherwise provided, at least annual assessment for progression or "when required to use skills that would entitle them to progress in the salary system".
- No obligation on the Council to provide annual assessment if the employee has topped-out but if the employee requests an assessment, the Council must provide one.
- Employees are advised at the annual assessment of the "skills and/or the performance objectives required for the employee to progress to the next salary point/step and shall review the employee training needs.”
- An appeal mechanism against any assessment
- Access for employees to information regarding the grade, salary range and progression steps of the of their position
- No reduction in pay or salary range if the Council changes salary system structure.
Who would have thought all these things were required? There are significant obligations on councils here and complementarily, significant rights for employees.
