To allow the Council to recognise the severe impact of the financial pressures facing staff, and provide assistance to staff arising from the current cost of living crisis.

To approve expenditure of c£1,000,000 per annum to fund an increase in salary of £500 per annum, to all staff employed directly by Oxford City Council from 1^st February 2023, other than Executive Directors and the Chief Executive. Such salary increase to be pro-rata for part time staff, it will not apply to contractors or those on day rates, but agency staff on equivalent Oxford City Council paypoints will receive the increase. The gross salary increase of £500 is to be consolidated with gross salary, to be paid on a monthly basis with salary payments, and to be backdated to 1^st February 2023.

The cost of this additional payment of £500 to council employees including those within ODS is approximately £1 million per annum inclusive of employers national insurance and superannuation. There will be an unbudgeted cost of around £170k in 2022-23 but an ongoing cost of £1 million per annum from 2023-24.  The Council has sufficient budgetary provision within its medium term financial plan (MTFP) for 2023-24 to fund the cost relating to council staff, with ODS having agreed to fund the amount relating to ODS staff. Given that this payment is consolidated the financial impact will be ongoing, affecting future years of the MTFP. This ongoing cost will need to be considered against the pay assumptions made for future years in the MTFP.

The Council’s staff resource is an asset of the Council. The increase to salary will allow the Council to provide support for its staff in the difficult financial climate.

As the support is needed urgently, and to allow payment to be made in a timely way in the current financial year, the decision has been made by the Chief Executive under delegated authority, and with the agreement of the Chair of the Scrutiny Committee to enable the decision to be made without 28 days’ notice on the forward plan.

The decision has been made in consultation with Statutory Officers, all Group Leaders, and the Unions.

Not to make any increase to staff salaries.

This option was rejected as it would not allow support to be provided to staff and could impact on recruitment and retention.

Decision taken by Caroline Green, Chief Executive in consultation with Tom Hook, Executive Director (Corporate Resources); Nigel Kennedy, Head of Financial Services; Susan Sale, Head of Law and Governance; Councillor Susan Brown, Leader of the Labour Group; Councillor Dr Christopher Smowton, Leader of the Liberal Democrat Group; and Councillor Chris Jarvis, Leader of the Green Group.