The Remuneration Committee of Oxfordshire Council met on Thursday 22 January 2026. The primary item scheduled for discussion was the council's Pay Policy Statement for 2026-27. The meeting also included the approval of previous minutes and consideration of exempt information.

Pay Policy Statement 2026-27

The committee was scheduled to consider the council's Pay Policy Statement for 2026-27, as outlined in a report by the Director of Human Resources and Cultural Change. This statement details the council's approach to employee pay, in line with the requirements of the Localism Act 2011¹. The report indicated that the council uses job evaluation schemes, Korn Ferry Hay for senior leadership and the National Joint Council for Local Government Services (Green Book) for other roles, to ensure a transparent and understandable pay structure.

The statement was set to address various aspects of remuneration, including:

• Lowest Paid Employees: As of April 2025, the lowest paid employees under Green Book terms were paid £24,413 per annum, which equates to £12.65 per hour, exceeding the National Living Wage of £12.21 per hour.
• Pay Multiples: The report was expected to present pay multiples, comparing the highest paid employee (the Chief Executive) to the lowest paid employees and the median salary. In 2025, the pay multiple between the lowest and highest paid was 1:10.09, and between the median and highest paid was 1:6.61.
• Chief Officer Pay: The statement was also to detail the pay multiples involving the average salary of Chief Officers, showing a multiple of 1:6.94 between the lowest paid and average Chief Officer salary, and 1:4.60 between the median salary and the average Chief Officer salary.
• Pay Strategy and Structures: The council's pay strategy, which generally adopts national pay structures, was to be outlined, along with the various pay schemes in operation, including those for senior leadership roles.
• Job Evaluation: The report was to explain the council's use of job evaluation schemes, Korn Ferry Hay and the Green Book, to determine role size and create an organisational hierarchy.
• Senior Management Pay: Arrangements for senior management pay, including the benchmarking process for the Chief Executive's salary and the locally agreed pay structure for senior leadership roles, were scheduled for discussion.
• Termination Payments: The council's approach to redundancy and severance payments, including special severance payments, was to be detailed, noting that payments of £100,000 and above require a formal decision by the Council.
• Re-employment: The policy of not re-employing former employees who have left with severance pay for at least two years was to be highlighted.
• Publication of Senior Salaries: The statement was to confirm the council's commitment to publishing remuneration details for senior employees, with individuals earning over £150,000 disclosed by name.

The committee was recommended to take note of the Pay Policy Statement 2026-27 and to recommend that the Council note and approve it for publication on the council's website.

Minutes of Previous Meeting

The committee was also scheduled to approve the minutes of the previous meeting held on 7 January 2026.

Exempt Items

The agenda indicated that items 6 and 7 would be considered in private session, as it was likely that exempt information relating to individuals and financial or business affairs would be disclosed. These items concerned the approval of exempt minutes from the previous meeting and the consideration of a report by the Director of HR and Cultural Change.