The Corporate Services Committee meeting scheduled for 1 July 2026 was set to review several key reports, including an update on the Gender, Ethnicity, and Disability Pay Gaps, the Revenue Outturn for the 2025-26 financial year, and progress on Programme Sapphire. The committee was also scheduled to discuss decisions made under delegated authority and review the Forward Plan and Action Tracker.

Gender, Ethnicity, and Disability Pay Gaps (March 2025 Snapshot)

A significant portion of the meeting was dedicated to reviewing the Gender, Ethnicity, and Disability Pay Gaps as of March 2025. The report indicated that the City of London Corporation has a minimal gender pay gap, with the median remaining at 0.0% and the mean decreasing to 3.5%. The ethnicity pay gap also showed improvement, with the median binary gap reducing to 2.2% and the mean to 5.6%. The disability pay gap's median remained at 0.0%, while the mean decreased to 5.9%. The report highlighted that while overall trends were positive, challenges remained in data disclosure rates, particularly for ethnicity and disability. The report also detailed the methodology used for calculating these gaps, drawing on data from the City Corporation's payroll and HR information systems, and adhering to UK Government standards where applicable. It noted that these pay gap analyses are distinct from equal pay assessments.

Revenue Outturn 2025-26

The committee was scheduled to review the revenue outturn for the 2025-26 financial year, comparing actual expenditure against the final budget for services overseen by the committee. The report indicated an overall underspend of £1.244 million. This underspend was attributed to various factors, including decreased net expenditure within the Deputy Town Clerk's remit (£0.657 million) and the Chief People Officer's remit (£0.587 million). Specific reasons cited for these underspends included staff vacancies, underspends on computer licences, and the deferral of transformation-funded projects and staff training programmes. The report also detailed agreed carry-forward requests totalling £0.754 million to the 2026/27 financial year.

Programme Sapphire

An update on Programme Sapphire, the implementation of the SAP solution across the Corporation, was scheduled for discussion. The report detailed the progress of the Payroll delivery workstream, including the completion of Payroll Parallel Run 1 and User Acceptance Testing, and the plan for Payroll Parallel Run 2. Delays had been experienced due to the initial readiness of the solution and resource constraints. The report noted a potential delay in the go-live for the first monthly payroll, with a decision pending on whether August or September would be the first payroll month, with September being the likely option. The report also highlighted strategic implications, financial risks, and equalities considerations related to the programme.

Decisions Taken Under Delegated Authority or Urgency Procedures

The committee was to be informed of decisions made by the Town Clerk outside of the committee's scheduled meetings, in consultation with the Chair and Deputy Chair, in accordance with Standing Orders. This included the approval of the People & HR Business Plan 2026-29, following further revisions based on member feedback regarding value for money, HR's role as a customer-service enabler, and the ethical and strategic adoption of AI transformation elements.

Forward Plan

The committee was presented with a forward plan outlining the work scheduled for future meetings. This included standing items such as confidential updates from the Chief People Officer and Town Clerk, as well as reports on Health & Safety, Apprenticeships & Graduates, Business Plan updates, and HR Risks.

Action Tracker

A report detailing the latest position on actions arising from previous meetings was to be reviewed. This included a request to flag the HR dashboard as still under development until a final version was available and reporting frequency established. It also noted an agreement to capture data on additional HR personnel working within institutions and departments.

Organisational Change Guide

Recommendations for revising the Corporation's Organisational Change Guide were presented, aiming to ensure that governance arrangements were proportionate and effective. The proposal suggested that Corporate Services Committee approval would be required only for proposals involving an increase in recurrent establishment cost of £200,000 or more, large-scale workforce impact affecting 20 or more employees or multiple departments, or the creation of senior posts (Grade I and above or roles exceeding £100,000). All other proposals would be subject to Chief Officer approval in consultation with the Chief People Officer.

Senior Remuneration Sub-Committee - Change to Composition

The committee was asked to consider amending the composition of the Senior Remuneration Sub-Committee. The report highlighted duplication between the Appraisal Panel and the Sub-Committee, inefficiencies in governance, and challenges with handling confidential information and member participation. The proposal suggested that the Sub-Committee's composition should replicate that of the Appraisal Panel, supplemented by two non-voting independent advisors with HR expertise. This aimed to streamline governance, remove duplication, and strengthen confidence in the remuneration-setting process.