The Scrutiny Officer has submitted a report which presents comments from the Scrutiny Committee

Scrutiny Committee Recommendations to the City Executive Board

1. We recommend that the City Council surveys all suppliers to measure compliance with paying the Oxford Living Wage.

2. We recommend that the City Council reviews whether the Oxford Living Wage should continue to be set at 95% of the London Living Wage.

3. We recommend that the City Council seeks to increase apprentice pay in the next budget round.

4. We recommend that the City Council actively explores the merits of incentivising businesses to pay the Oxford Living Wage through offering business rate discounts.

5. We recommend that the City Council seeks to be more pro-active in engaging with employers and encouraging them to pay the Oxford Living Wage.  This could also involve raising the profile of the Oxford Living Wage on the City Council website and listing employers that have committed to paying it. 

The Scrutiny Officer submitted a report (previously circulated, now appended) which detailed comments from the Scrutiny Committee.

Cllr Price updated the Board on the further response to recommendation 2. Which read:

The Council motion which committed us to the LW, proposed a £7 OLW against the £7.20 LLW, taking account of the work undertaken by the original research by Loughborough University and the Mayor of London and using Oxford housing and transport data. That relationship was subsequently translated into a 95% figure, in order to ensure that the OLW was maintained in line with a fifure for the LLW that was well researched and supported by time series evidence. This percentage link makes the administration of the OLW straightforward and avoids the need for complex research to be undertaken locally at regular intervals.

The City Executive Board resolved to AGREE

1. That the City Council surveys all suppliers to measure compliance with paying the Oxford Living Wage.

2. That the City Council reviews whether the Oxford Living Wage should continue to be set at 95% of the London Living Wage.

3. That the City Council seeks to increase apprentice pay in the next budget round.

4. That the City Council actively explores the merits of incentivising businesses to pay the Oxford Living Wage through offering business rate discounts.

5. That the City Council seeks to be more pro-active in engaging with employers and encouraging them to pay the Oxford Living Wage.  This could also involve raising the profile of the Oxford Living Wage on the City Council website and listing employers that have committed to paying it. 

The Head of Business Improvement & Technology and the OD & Learning Advisor presented a report (previously circulated, now appended) which updated the Committee on how the Council’s commitment to paying the Oxford Living Wage has been implemented internally and within our supply chain. 

The Committee raised the following comments:

·         Officers formally monitor agency staff and contactors to make sure they are complying with the Oxford Living Wage requirements set out in their council contracts. These are recorded monthly. It’s more difficult to monitor contract further down the supply chain, officers plan to survey all contractors for compliance.

·         Apprenticeships are not currently paid the Oxford Living Wage, raising apprenticeship pay is something that needs further consideration.

·         The Oxford Living Wage is calculated at 95% of the London Living Wage, which is reviewed annually in November and any changes are implemented in April the following year. This allows businesses time to adjust their pay scales accordingly and times with the new financial year.

·         Promotion of businesses that pay the Oxford Living Wage needs to occur on the Council website to encourage other to pay it.

The Scrutiny Committee recommended to the City Executive Board that:

1.    A survey is conducted to monitor OLW compliance amongst council contractors.

2.    The level of the Oxford Living Wage being 95% of the London Living Wage be reviewed.

3.    Council be more pro-active at encouraging employers to pay the Oxford Living Wage in the city and employers that do pay the wage are promoted on the Council website.

4.    The Apprenticeship hour wage be reviewed.

The City Council considers encouraging  the Oxford Living Wage by offering discounted business rates

This report presents a method for reviewing and uplifting the rate of the Oxford Living Wage.  The report recommends a particular way in which this might be done and that it should be done in April each year following notification of changes to the London Living Wage in the previous November.

The Head of Human Resources and Facilities submitted a report (previously circulated, now appended).

Resolved:-

(1)  To agree Option 3 in the report as the basis for determining any increase in the Oxford Living Wage;

(2)  That any changes in the Oxford Living Wage be applied in April each year following notification in November each year of changes to the London Living Wage.