Public Sector Pay Policy for Staff Pay Remits 2009-10

2. STRATEGIC AIMS AND OBJECTIVES

What are the strategic aims of Public Sector Pay Policy?

2.1 The Scottish Government's policy on public sector pay has three strategic aims:

a) To make sure that public sector pay settlements are affordable and sustainable and, through the targeting of resources, that value for money is secured;

b) To provide flexibility within an overarching policy for public bodies to determine the pay and reward systems that are right for their business needs; and

c) To work towards making sure that pay is fair and non-discriminatory.

What are the objectives of Public Sector Pay Policy in Scotland?

2.2 From these strategic aims, Public Sector Pay Policy has a number of objectives:

a) public sector employees to be fairly rewarded for the work that they do;

b) public sector employers to recruit, motivate and retain able and committed staff;

c) public sector employers address low pay;

d) pay to be related to performance;

e) exceptional performance to be rewarded by non-consolidated payments;

f) public sector employers to address, over a reasonable period of time taking account of legal requirements, any equalities issues in pay and reward systems and structures;

g) public sector pay range maxima or target rates to be in line with the medians of the maxima in the relevant labour market;

h) public resources to be used effectively and for public bodies to secure value for money;

i) a total reward approach to be taken to public sector pay, including non-pay rewards as well as increases in basic pay;

j) issues impacting on the delivery of outcomes by public bodies to be addressed;

k) pay settlements to be made on the settlement dates when they become due; and

l) public sector employers to confirm that the outturn is in line with the approved pay remit and for those part-way through multi-year settlements to provide a statement of assurance that the assumptions for delivering paybill savings are still valid and achievable.