Remuneration Policy
Remuneration w ithin Council is based on the fol ow ing principles:
Affordability: As a public sector employer the Council has an obligation to be responsible to its rate payers.
Each year the Council review s a number of factors, such as the remuneration market, economic climate and
any budget Council may have available in order to determine how much it should spend on staff
remuneration.
Market m edians: The Council aim is to have pay rates competitive w ith public sector and local government
markets. Each year the Council determines market movement based on salary surveys and determines
w here w e should set our medians.
Perform ance: Individual performance is assessed at least annual y and this is factored into any
remuneration adjustment proposed for that individual.
Progression through range for a grade: Over a period of time individuals are expected to progress
through their salary range based on their skil s, experience, performance and affordability.
In applying these principles Council w il :
Maintain individual employee’s total remuneration at a minimum of 85% of the remuneration range for
the grade of their role, unless your role requires you to w ork through a competency framew ork
Conduct a Council w ide review (moderation) of annual individual performance ratings to ensure
consistency across Council.
Review remuneration annual y for al permanent employees (salaried and w aged) unless their specific
terms and conditions of employment state otherw ise.
An employee must have completed at least 3 months in their current role to be eligible for review ,
exceptions may apply, refer to guidelines provided annual y.
Review remuneration annual y for fixed term employees on completion of 12 months service, if it is
specifical y provided for in their employment agreement, exceptions may apply pleas e discuss w ith
Human Resources.
Recruitment policy
The Council w il ensure, to the best of its ability, that recruitment is based on merit, that the recruitment process is
fair and transparent, w ithout favouritism or discrimination and that the Council’s legislative responsibilities are
met.
The Council is committed to the fol ow ing recruitment principles:
The Council w il recruit and retain people w ith the motivation and competence necessary to achieve it’s
current and future service objectives
The Council w il ensure current staff have positive career opportunities and encourage staff to apply for
jobs w hich interest them and for w hich they are qualified
The Council w il meet its legislative requirements, enable a fair, inclusive and transparent recruitme nt
process and minimise those risks associated w ith non-compliance
Al recruitment activities exhibit WCC foundation values
Recruitment processes and materials are complete, clear and consistent to enable cost effective
recruitment practices that meet the needs of hiring managers and diverse hiring requirements of
Council.
If you are recruiting for a new position, please ensure that you have fol ow ed th
e Position Management
process.
Equality, diversity and inclusion policy
Wel ington City Council is actively committed to supporting equality and diversity (formerly know n as Equal
Employment Opportunities or EEO). This is emphasised through our
vision, values and behaviours, our diversity
and inclusion strategy and our leadership profile value of ‘Values bi-culturalism and diversity’.
Launching our diversity and inclusion strategy
In October 2018 w e also launched our diversity and inclusion strategy, w hich outlines how w e'l support al of our
people to thrive and grow .
It's about how we act towards one another
At Wel ington City Council, diversity and inclusion in action are:
treating people fairly and w ith respect, ensuring access to opportunities, thereby eliminating
discriminatory barriers and practices
understanding, appreciating and realising the benefits of individual differences so that people can
perform to their best and contribute to organisational success.
Consistent w ith the Human Rights Act, w e ensure fairness and respect in employment for al people.
Wel ington City Council has a principle based approach to equality and diversity, w hich means:
w e incorporate different perspectives into our w orkforce w il enhance performance and give b etter
results
our w orkforce better reflects our Wel ington communities
w e have a zero tolerance to discrimination on the basis of a persons gender, marital status, religion,
ethnicity, race, disability, age, employment status, family status and sexual orientation.
Wel ington City Council is actively committed to supporting Equal Employment Opportunities (EEO). The Council
is an active member of the EEO Trust and the EEO Trust Employers group.
Definition of EEO
In New Zealand w e have a belief in equality - a right to be w ho you are w ithout prejudice. In the w orkplace, the
EEO legislation provides the ground rules to this belief in equality. It says that w e cannot discriminate because of
someone's personal characteristics, beliefs or associations. They are the things that make you w ho you are and
they add variety and richness to our society.
For example, you cannot discriminate against someone for their:
age
ethnic or national origins
sex
political opinion
colour
marital or family status
disability
religious, ethical or political beliefs
race
sexual orientation.
These are examples of personal characteristics that do not relate to skil s or qualifications. Therefore, in the
w orkplace, it is an offence to use any of them as a reason for discrimination.
EEO means:
fairness at w ork and eliminating discriminatory barriers and practices
a fair go for everyone w ho has a job or is applying to get one.
What EEO means for you
EEO means you:
have a law protecting your rights as an individual
have legal obligations not to discriminate against another person because of their personal
characteristics, beliefs or associations.
At Council, you have been given the opportunity to w ork in a discrimination-free environment w here your
abilities and skil s are the keys to your progress . That means your career development is entirely based
on your ability to reach goals and performance targets, and not influenced by prejudice.
Reasons for promoting EEO
EEO is good business practice and is an integral component of forming and maintaining high performance teams.
It does this by making sure that the w orkforce is:
diverse
flexible
highly skil ed
responsive
able to contribute significantly to the provision of quality services.
EEO is also an expression of our
vision, values and behaviours for our staff and the ratepayers w e
represent.
Benefits for the Council
By employing the principles of EEO, Council benefits from the creation of a harmonious w orking environment free
of discrimination w hich:
creates an environment in w hich high performing teams can flourish
improves overal morale w hich in turn improves our customer service and productivity
encourages a w ider range of job applicants
adds colour of beliefs and opinions to our w orkforce w hich better reflect our ratepayers beliefs and
opinions
improves overal staff relations w hich in turn reduces absenteeism and staff turnover
al ow s Council to demonstrate that it supports and encourages human rights and particularly EEO
legislation.
EEO is not a 'fad'
EEO legislation is not 'political correctness' gone mad.
International y many societies, including ours, have progressed to the point w here w e now w ant to recognise in
international law the rights of the individual to live in a w orld free of discrimination.
The legislation and Council's adoption of the legislation make it clear that people w ho cannot control their
personal prejudices are the people w ith the problem. It also brings to life and provides tangible proof of Council's
values of integrity and respect.
This is not tokenism. It provides simple and basic human rights to everyone.
Fairness
As a society w e have decided that certain behaviours are not acceptable. EEO protects the w orkplace from those
unacceptable behaviours.
It does not replace one form of injustice for another because w e consider the merits of every situation and apply
best Human Resource practice to ensure fairness to al .
The Council's commitment to EEO
We are members of the EEO Trust and the EEO Trust Employers group and, as members, w e agree to focus on
EEO issues. A function of the Human Resources team is to monitor Council's employment policies and practices
to make sure there is fairness and equality, and also to identify and remove any aspects w hich cause or lead to
inequality.
The Human Resources team also highlights issues of concern to managers and advise on appropriate solutions.
Al employees have a responsibility for ensuring that EEO practices are implemented.
Guidelines for managers
Managers are accountable for supporting diversity by making sure that personnel practices are directed to the
outcome of equity.
Managers and other persons w ith delegated authority for selecting and managing employ ees should ensure that
al personnel policies comply w ith the EEO principles of being a good employer so that al employees have equal
opportunity to achieve their potential. A 'good employer' is one w ho operates a personnel policy containing
provisions general y accepted as necessary for the fair and proper treatment of al employees in al aspects of
their employment.
Encouraging diversity
Here are some w ay of encouraging diversity:
having an equal employment opportunities policy
impartial y selecting suitably qualified people for appointment
providing opportunities for the enhancement of the abilities of individual employees
recognising the employment requirements of w omen
recognising the employment requirements of people w ith disabilities
recognising the aims, aspirations and cultural differences of ethnic or minority groups
recognising the aims and aspirations of Māori people, the employment requirements of Māori people,
and the need for greater involvement of Māori people in local government employment
recognising the aims and aspirations and employment requirements of Māori people, and the need for
greater involvement of Māori in local government employment.
Health, Safety and Wellbeing Policy
Health and Safety Statement of Commitment
Wellington City Council is committed to reducing and w here possible removing the risk of harm to its w orkers and
the public. Our w orkers are our employees, contractors and volunteer w orkers.
In our w orkplace w e w ant everyone to look after their ow n health and safety and that of other people.
Appropriate resources w il be al ocated to ensure that:
•
health and safety hazards and risks are managed
•
legislative requirements are complied w ith
•
effective health and safety management systems are maintained.
Rehabilitation is seen as an integral part of the process for dealing w ith injury or il ness and it is recognised that
rehabilitation should commence as soon as possible fol ow ing injury or il ness. Every effort w il be made to assist
our employees to an early, safe return to meaningful and productive w ork.
In particular, w e w il :
•
ensure that an effective health and safety management system is maintained, practiced and regularly
review ed for continuous improvement
•
integrate health and safety into day to day operational and management practices
•
require our Executive Leadership Team to be responsible for ensuring health and safety is effectively
co-ordinated throughout the Council
•
require management at al levels to be responsible and accountable for the implementation of health
and safety programmes, initiatives and practices
•
involve w orkers in health and safety matters and encourage their active participation in hazard
identification and control
•
establish communication channels to ensure health and safety issues are discussed across the Council
and that information and decisions are fed back to al interested parties
•
ensure our w orkers are trained for the activity they undertake; the equipment they operate; the
substances they w ork w ith and perform their duties in accordance w ith established operating procedures
•
accurately report and record incidents that occur in our w orkplace
•
investigate serious incidents and injuries to prevent them from happening again.
Learning and development policy
For Wel ington City Council to meet its vision and objectives our people need to be highly engaged, adaptable,
innovative, and open to learning and applying new skil s.
This means learning and development is an investment in our people so that they are:
•
able to w ork to high standards
•
engaged and motivated at w ork
•
committed to w orking for Council.
•
It is also an investment for the organisation to:
•
retain high performers
•
develop future leaders.
•
This requires a three-w ay partnership:
•
the Council investing in the development of its people
•
managers support and encourage the development of their people
•
people take responsibility for their ow n development.
To achieve these objectives the Council has developed a set of principles for our Learning and Development
Framew ork. The principles provide a flexible approach to learning and development, al ow ing us to recognise that
each business unit has different needs, and at the same time make sure w e are being consistent across the
organisation. These principles are:
1. Align learning w ith organisational strategies and objectives.
2. Integrate learning w ith business planning to meet business needs.
3. Build a culture of learning and continuous improvement.
4. Provide needs-based learning options.
5. Manage learning effectively.
6. Support the application of know ledge and skil s in the w orkplace.
7. Evaluate learning and development.
