Expectations and Recognition
Page updated: 22/08/2024
Most of you, that responded to the survey, said that your job made an important contribution to the council’s objectives, you knew what was expected of you, what your manager expected of you, and what you could expect from your manager.
Most of you also said that you had the right skills / equipment to do your work and were able to perform to the best of your ability every day. Many of you also said that someone had spoken to you about your progress in the last 12 months. However, although most people that responded agreed that they received thanks or recognition from others for doing a good job, this statement attracted the joint second lowest score.
We know from this feedback that not everyone is having the same experience, so based on your valuable input, we committed to taking the following actions to further improve your experience of working for us:
- Help with loans: We have now partnered with Salary Finance, a financial wellbeing provider that offers access to affordable loans repaid through your salary, advances on earned pay, and free financial education.
- Staff discount scheme: 3,505 staff members have already joined our Staff Rewards Scheme, managed by Terry Berry. This fantastic program keeps getting better with new discounts from national retailers added regularly. If you’re signed up, you’ll receive an email notification every time a new discount is available. Haven’t registered yet? Don’t miss out! Sign up here - Carmarthenshire County Council Staff Rewards. Looking ahead, we’re also exploring ways to include discounts from local companies, adding even more value to your rewards.
- Planning for your retirement: We’re now working with My Money Matters to help you build extra savings alongside your Local Government Pension Scheme (also known as additional voluntary contributions – AVCs). Shared Cost AVCs let you build an extra pot of money alongside your pension. These contributions are exempt from Income Tax and National Insurance contributions (NICs), and you can potentially take it all as a tax-free lump sum when you retire. It’s never too early to start planning for your retirement. Visit their My Money Matters website to learn more about the full range of benefits available to you as a CCC employee.
- HR Policy Updates: This year, we’ve made some fantastic updates to our HR policies! These changes extend many entitlements, improving your rights around paternity leave, carer’s leave, redundancy and flexible working. Find out more by visiting the HR pages of our Intranet or by speaking to your manager or a member of our HR team.
This year, we are pleased to introduce the Learning and Development Awards. These awards are designed to recognise the dedication and hard work of our staff who have demonstrated a strong commitment to learning and professional growth. Whether through academic achievements or personal development, we are proud to acknowledge these individuals. Want to know more? Visit our Learning & Development Awards intranet page for details. And keep an eye out for updates about the awards event happening later this year.
Our new Framework was launched in November 2023 with a dedicated intranet page, “One Council – Our Core Values and Behaviours” Many of our service managers are now using the framework during service recruitment activities and appraisals, making it an integral part of how they operate.
We’ve agreed on a plan to review our appraisal system. Later this year, we’ll talk with staff and managers to get their ideas and find ways to improve it. Our goal is to make appraisals more effective and supportive for everyone. Stay tuned for further updates and ways to get involved.
After completing our review of the appraisal framework, which will involve gathering feedback from staff and managers, we’ll move on to the next phase. This will involve exploring how we use MyView to capture and monitor activities effectively.
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