The Employment Committee of Hertfordshire Council met on Friday 19 June 2026 to discuss the retention of a key executive director and to approve a new recruitment process for a critical Local Government Reorganisation (LGR) role. The committee agreed to adjust the salary range for the Executive Director of Growth and Environment to improve retention and endorsed the proposed recruitment approach for a Programme Director to oversee the LGR transition.

Executive Director for Growth and Environment Salary Adjustment

The committee discussed concerns regarding the retention of the Executive Director for Growth and Environment. Richard Taylor, Director of People, presented a report highlighting that the current pay for this role had become slightly detached from the competitive market position. Following a review of market data, which indicated that comparable local government authorities were paying an average of £165,000 to £166,000 for similar roles, it was recommended that the salary range for the Executive Director of Growth and Environment be adjusted.

The proposal was to amend the individual three-point range for the role from pay points 1-3 to pay points 3-5 within Level 19. This adjustment would allow the current postholder, who was on pay point 0.3 within the existing range, to move to pay point 0.4. This change was estimated to have an annual cost of £5,590, plus on-costs, effective from 1 July 2026.

Several councillors raised questions about the timing and necessity of holding a special meeting for this adjustment. Councillor Richard Roberts expressed perplexity at the perceived urgency, suggesting the matter could have been addressed in earlier or later pay discussions. Richard Taylor explained that the timing was crucial due to the current buoyant recruitment market and the risk of losing the incumbent postholder if the issue was delayed.

Councillor Sally Symington supported the proposal, noting the increasing fluidity in the market and the essential need for strong leadership. She also agreed with the suggestion that the council should explore ways to introduce more flexibility at an operational level to manage such challenges without requiring Employment Committee meetings for every adjustment. This sentiment was echoed by other councillors, who agreed that a review of the pay policy might be beneficial to allow for greater flexibility in managing senior staff remuneration.

Ultimately, the committee agreed to the proposed adjustment. Steve Jarvis, Leader of the Council and Chair of the Employment Committee, proposed: that the individual three point range for the role of executive director of growth and environment in level 19 is amended to pay points three to five and the recommendation that the role hold to be moved to pay point four providing the increase of five, five, nine, zero from the 1st of July. The proposal was agreed by the committee.

Recruitment of Programme Director for Local Government Reorganisation (LGR) Transition

The committee also considered the recruitment process for a new Programme Director to lead the Local Government Reorganisation (LGR) transition. Richard Taylor presented a report outlining the critical need for this role to provide strategic leadership and oversee the delivery of the LGR programme, which involves significant changes for Hertfordshire's councils.

The role, which will be based within Hertfordshire County Council (HCC) as the employing body, is to be remunerated within the L18 range (£121,449–£134,011), with estimated annual costs of £157,000–£174,000 including on-costs. The costs for this position will be jointly funded by the 11 participating councils.

Concerns were raised by some members regarding the proposed salary level and the potential for an external appointee to lack familiarity with the scale of Hertfordshire's local government landscape. However, officers explained that the L18 pay level had been evaluated internally based on HCC's Pay Principles and benchmarking against similar roles in other authorities that had undergone LGR. They emphasised that the successful candidate would require strong leadership, programme management skills, and the ability to foster trust and relationships across all 11 councils.

The committee heard that an interim Programme Director would be engaged from one of the 11 councils to ensure continuity during the recruitment period. A programme budget of approximately £2 million was discussed, which would be funded by the £20 million pledged by the 11 councils for LGR transition.

The committee ultimately endorsed the proposed recruitment approach for the post of Programme Director – LGR transition within HCC's establishment and delegated authority to the Chief Executive Officer to manage the recruitment and appointment process. The vote was 6 in favour, with 0 against and 1 abstention.

Workforce Programme – Savings Update (Mutually Accepted Resignation Scheme)

The committee also considered a report on the proposal to introduce a time-limited Mutually Accepted Resignation Scheme (MARS) offer to council employees as part of a workforce savings programme. This initiative is intended to help the council manage a significant reduction in central government funding.

MARS is described as a voluntary severance tool, distinct from dismissal or redundancy. The council would retain complete discretion to accept or refuse any applications. While a saving of £5 million was targeted, officers noted that the scheme's efficacy in reducing headcount was dependent on the number of successful applications, making outcomes not precisely measurable in advance.

Concerns were raised by members regarding the potential for MARS to send a mixed message to staff, given other initiatives that might involve additional payments to retain staff. There were also concerns about the impact on employee morale if vacant posts were not refilled, placing greater pressure on remaining staff. Officers clarified that MARS was a flexible, strategic tool to manage financial challenges while avoiding compulsory redundancies and balancing this against maintaining service delivery. They also highlighted that the scheme was an agile response to the urgent need for savings, given the speed of funding changes.

The committee endorsed the use of MARS as part of the workforce savings programme and approved for the Director of People to engage directly with recognised Trade Unions on the scheme. The decision was made with 5 votes in favour and 2 against.

The minutes of the previous meetings on 27 January 2026 and 24 March 2026 were also confirmed.