Agenda item - Mileage Benchmarking Update

Agenda item

Mileage Benchmarking Update

Minutes:

The Head of Business Transformation, Organisational Development and Digital Strategy and the Human Resources and Organisational Development Manager attended the meeting to present an update on benchmarking data in terms of mileage claims received from staff since the start of the pandemic.  The report had been prepared as a result of the Board requesting additional information the last time an update on this subject had been delivered.  The report provided data for similar local authorities to Bromsgrove District Council, primarily Malvern Hills District Council and Wychavon District Council.

 

Members were advised that since the start of the pandemic there had been a 37.8% decline in mileage claims for Bromsgrove District Council staff.  By comparison, there had been decreases of 49% in claims for staff employed by Wychavon District Council and of 22% for staff employed by Malvern Hills District Council.  Data for staff employed in Worcestershire Regulatory Services (WRS), which was hosted by Bromsgrove District Council, showed that there had been a 23.9% fall in mileage claims for that service.  Officers from WRS had reported that the decline in claims had been lower than anticipated but this reflected the particularly important roles of WRS staff operating across the country during the pandemic.

 

The Portfolio Holder for Finance and Enabling Services, the relevant lead Portfolio Holder for this area, subsequently commented that he welcomed the decrease in mileage claims.  The data appeared to show a continuing trend in terms of mileage claims falling for Council staff and this reflected the flexibility of the different ways of working that had emerged during the pandemic.

 

Following the presentation of the report, a number of points were discussed by Members in detail:

 

·            The potential for the trend in terms of a decrease in mileage claims from staff to continue.  Officers clarified that wherever possible, available technology would be utilised to attend meetings to help reduce travel and this would have a beneficial impact on mileage claims.

·            The types of technology that could be used to help reduce the need to travel.  The Board was advised that this included software such as Microsoft Teams which could be accessed by Officers from home or other offices as a way to participate in meetings remotely.

·            The benefits for both the Council’s budget and the local environment of a reduction in mileage claims.  Members commented that a reduction in travel by staff would have a beneficial impact on climate emissions associated with work for the Council.

·            The financial implications detailed in the report and the extent to which further information could have been provided about the costs of putting together the report.  The Board was informed that the financial implications section of reports was designed to focus on the financial implications of any recommendations or decisions required from Members, not the cost of putting together a report.

·            The approach to work that would be adopted by staff moving forward and the extent to which officers would continue to work from home in future.  Officers explained that many staff continued to work from home, although staff could access Council offices when needed and there would be a transition increasingly towards agile working.

 

Members concluded the debate by thanking officers for obtaining and presenting the benchmarking information for the Board’s consideration.

 

RESOLVED that the report be noted.

 

 

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