The Clark never tells the pc when she is doing overtime

Question

The pc only finds out the clerk has done any over time when the salaries are paid some times her payments for overtime runs into hundreds of pounds how do others parish councils control the clerks overtime it looks like we do not have any overtime arrangements in place for the clerk

Answer 1

Our clerk's contract does not include provision for payment for overtime worked but the clerk is allowed to take time off in lieu.  However, if your clerk needs to regularly work overtime you should, as a responsible employer, be asking why.  Are hours provided not enough for the work or should you be considering additional staff?  I'd suggest asking your clerk to keep a time sheet outlining what is being done (without it being too onerous so that it takes up yet more time) so that the workload can be assessed by your staffing committee.

Answer 2

1. The arrangements for the payment of overtime and the circumstances in which it is paid should be clearly stated in the contract of employment.

2. It is usual that overtime is agreed in advance of it being worked and subsequently authorised before it is paid.

Comments

When I was a clerk I have to say that council agreeing overtime in advance was a challenge.  When a council meets monthly (and some less frequently) it is not always practical to guess what might crop up a couple of months in advance of the need to work extra hours.  If its for an event or additional project, yes that's possible but often not the case.  I suspect that's why the model contract suggests time off in lieu of overtime as the standard.  Lone clerks will tell you that just taking annual leave inevitably results in working additional hours to catch up on return.  Some sort of control system is necessary but it's never straightforward.

Answer 3

Clearly if this is happening regularily there is a need to revisit the clerks terms of employment at the next review, or do so as quickly as possible. Many clerks happily carry out work over and above their laid down terms and balance this with times when there is not enough work to fill the hours allotted. Swings and roundabouts. When it becomes a regular event then it is only fair and proper for a review to be held to correct the imbalance.

Comments

When a full time clerk earns c £55k per annum, should overtime arise? As a management job, should hours be counted?

Answer 4

Whilst all of the above comments are ‘valid’ and may be relevant, there is 1  fundamental considerations which has not yet been mentioned. 

Effective staff management BY the PC. 

If there is frequent overtime it MUST be authorised in advance. 

In order to do that the PC must understand, DIRECT and monitor what the clerk spends their paid hrs doing. 

Your council presumably authorises the overtime payments when presented and it is undeniably a RESPONSIBILITY upon Cllrs to be sure the payments are reasonable, authorised and necessary. 

If overtime is dictated by the employee rather than granted by the employer your system is failing (and so is your Internal Auditor if this is not being highlighted.)

Sounds like you are trying to resolve (or at least ‘aware’ of the potential shortcoming. Proceed with caution - this is a classic scenario where clerk and associates will turn on you as a troublemaker!