Approval of the following new and updated HR Policies for Herefordshire Council employees, as set out in Appendices A to C:

·       MERS Lite policy

·       Domestic Abuse and Sexual Violence Policy

·       Fostering Leave Policy

That:

a)    The Mutual Early Resignation Scheme (MERS) Lite policy as set out in Appendix A is approved and implemented from March 2023;

b)    The Domestic Abuse and Sexual Violence Policy as set out in Appendix B is approved and implemented in April 2023;

c)    Herefordshire Council adopts the Real Living Wage as a supplement for council employees with effect from April 2023, without seeking accreditation, and encourages other organisations where the council is a majority shareholder, such as Hoople Ltd to also adopt the Real Living Wage;

d)    The Fostering Leave Policy as set out in Appendix C is approved and implemented in May 2023, and the council achieves accreditation with the Fostering Friendly network.

The policies are not approved or adopted. This is not recommended as these policies are intended to support the development of a skilled and stable workforce while managing the council’s resources effectively.