Doncaster Council pay gap narrows but boss paid over nine times lowest salaries

The lowest earners narrowed the pay gap with the top earners at Doncaster Council last year, figures have revealed.
Doncaster's  Civic Offices.Doncaster's  Civic Offices.
Doncaster's Civic Offices.

But the top earner is still receiving more than nine times the lowest salaried staff at the authority, a report which will go before councillors next week reveals.

The current ratio between the highest employee salary, the £149,000 paid to chief executive Jo Miller, and lowest employee salary, £15,917 for staff on the grade three spot point, reduced slightly from 9.80:1 last year to 9.36:1.

Hide Ad
Hide Ad

The ratio between the lowest paid and average salaries at the council was reduced from 1.45:1 last year to a ratio of 1.41:1. This was a decrease in the differential between lowest paid and average salaries of 2.76 per cent and the council says is in line with its ‘commitment to address low pay’.

The ratio between Doncaster’s highest and average salaries is 6.64:1.

A council report states: “Benchmarking will be undertaken before the start of the financial year once all results are published, against a number of local authorities in the Yorkshire and Humber region. These results will be published on the Council’s website.

“There has once again been a positive reduction in the ratios this year between the highest and lowest paid employees. The ratio, known as the pay multiple, is how many times greater the highest salary is compared to the lowest salary. The current ratio between the highest employee salary (chief executive) and lowest employee salary (£15,917 grade 3 spot point) has reduced slightly from 9.84:1 last year to 9.36:1.

Hide Ad
Hide Ad

“This means the highest salary is now 9.36 times more than the lowest salary.

“The ratio between the highest employee salary and average staff salary has reduced from 6.78:1 to 6.64:1.”

Local authorities are legally required to prepare an annual pay policy statement detailing their policy for the pay of the workforce, particularly senior staff and lowest paid employees.

The report said: “All these changes show a positive trend and reflect a continuing reduction in the difference between the highest and lowest paid in line with the council’s commitment to reduce the pay difference and increase low pay. The council has been able to achieve further improvement in its pay ratios as a result of adopting the living wage.

Hide Ad
Hide Ad

“There is a potential one per cent pay award to be implemented from April 1 2016.

“A collective agreement has also been reached with the trade unions relating to changes to the council’s pay structure under revised Terms and Conditions. These will also take effect from April 1, 2016. “

Department directors at the council are paid between £112,695 and £120,379.

Assistant directors get £83,599 to £91,437, while heads of service are paid £54,198 to £63,451.