Our staff and industrial relations

We are committed to resourcing the complaints process properly and as the number of complaints has started to rise, we have welcomed new staff to the organisation. This ensures that they can be trained and help us manage a rise in incoming complaints, before backlogs build up.

At the SLCC we take our commitment to equality and inclusion seriously, as well as supporting the wellbeing of our staff. With this in mind we created a voluntary group to run annual events with a focus on these important topics. The Wellbeing and Inclusion Group (WIGs) has seven members of staff from all areas of the organisation and is supported by the senior management.

Events range from short talks, awareness events and wellbeing support. Topics covered have included menopause, movember (men’s health), Divali, Sustainability, Neurodiversity and mental heath awareness.

We took part in the Sustrans Scottish Workplace Journey Challenge in March 2022 as an organisation. A group of colleagues are participating in a hike up Ben Nevis in May 2022, which includes various training events and lunchtime walks. As a result, we achieved a Walk at Work award.

It was another busy year of fundraising for our staff charity. With quizzes, cupcakes, Christmas jumpers and some staff climbing the UK’s highest mountain, we raised £4,602 for Hopscotch Children’s Charity.

Our staff have voted Team Jak Foundation as this year’s staff charity. Team Jak provides practical, social and emotional support for children and young people with cancer and their family and friends.

We continue to work with PCS as our recognised Trade Union. This year PCS and SLCC have discussed our new hybrid working pilot and made some changes based on their feedback. We also continue to discuss pay and terms and conditions.

Building on from what we learnt during Covid-19, in November we consulted on a new working model for future. After discussions we agreed on a proposed model and began piloting this in April. The new working model gives staff more flexibility around when and where they want to work. The principles ask that staff spend a minimum of a third of their working time in the office each quarter, the rest of the time they can choose where they work, as long as key business needs are covered. To support staff feedback, two workshops were set up with an independent facilitator. Staff have now fed back at the end of the pilot period and we are now gearing up to make this a permanent change.