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0 votes
I have been invited to an informal meeting with a representative from the local authority's HR to try to resolve concerns the clerk has about me. The invitation has come from an "independent" councillor on the Personnel committee. He doesn't know what the clerk's concerns are and said he was asked to contact me because he's an "independent".

The clerk's actual concerns are that I've already corrected them on points of law and policy several times in my short time on the council and haven't been bullied into submission by vexatious complaints and the incredibly hostile atmosphere that has been created for my benefit. What concerns they have officially put forward I don't know and it appears that I am expected to go into a meeting unprepared to hear them first.

Although I have no respect for the clerk either personally or professionally based on their conduct I have been professional in all my dealings with them as a councillor. I have been very careful not to do anything that could be seen as undermining them and been polite in my all communications with them. The clerk is an employee and the council is their employer and I understand perfectly the need to set aside me personal feelings and treat them appropriately.

I am inclined to decline the meeting because there is no prospect of it being productive. I am 99% sure the next step, regardless of whether I attend or not, is to be told that I must not contact the clerk directly and will have to funnel everything through the chairman. They have recently voted to reduce council meetings to bi-monthly despite struggling to get through the agenda of monthly meetings to keep me out of the loop as much as possible and forcing me to go to the chairman with every request for information or action would further restrict my ability to do the job I was elected to do. Of course, refusing the request to resolve the clerk's concerns informally (however insincere) would play into their hands but I feel it would be incredibly foolish to walk into what is obviously an ambush.
by (380 points)

3 Answers

0 votes
Assuming you and/or the Clerk are not employed by the local authority, there is no role for them in this. I suggest that you attend the meeting to listen, but not respond. Otherwise, you will forever be known as the person who was offered the opportunity but declined.
by (58.9k points)
I almost agree with DTC but I would add a prior step.  If it was me I would ask for an agenda for the meeting + all the background papers and reports + an indication of who will be present.
0 votes
Is there any such thing as an "informal" meeting with HR? Aren't all meetings with HR dept or representative by definition formal and of course to be recorded noted or minuted.
by (29.2k points)
No, HR's sole purpose it to protect the interests of the organisation paying their wages.
0 votes
I had something similar where the Clerk then accused myself and two other Councillors of “ plotting “ against the Parish Council because we didn’t agree with her

I was also “ sent to Coventry “by the Clerk and had to use the FOI to get any information
Personally I’d agree and take a witness just for the fun of it
At the end of the day no matter how bad the Clerk is the only way things will improve is when the majority of Councillors support you rather than the Clerk
ago by (12.7k points)

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