The Cabinet Office is working on a project to help the public sector implement total reward strategies and statements. It has enlisted the Hay Group UK to develop an online package for use by local authorities and other public sector employers.
It is likely to contain questionnaires that will help public sector employers ascertain staff views on the strengths and weaknesses of their reward package and environment. The online toolkit, which is due to be launched imminently, is also likely to contain case studies of employers that are already communicating with staff through total reward statements and similar procedures.
Jon Sutcliffe, pay modernisation adviser for the Employers’ Organisation, an advisory body for local authorities on people management issues (soon to be renamed Local Government Employers), said: "The idea is that there will be a website with advice on setting up total reward systems and a toolkit that includes a diagnostic aid for use with staff." The move is in line with the Local Government and Workforce Strategy 2005, which urges authorities to balance the need for attractive salary packages with the provision of value for money.
The strategy also encourages authorities to communicate to staff the full value of the total reward they receive. The strategy was developed by the Office of the Deputy Prime Minister and the Employers’ Organisation, on behalf of the Local Government Association, and sets out policies for workforce reform and people management.