FINANCIAL SERVICES
EQUALITY IMPACT ASSESSMENT – Impact on Pension Service Uptake following
WPBR (Workforce, Pay Benefits & Review)
STEP 1 : Setting up
Service
FINANCIAL
SERVICES
Division
PENSIONS
Contact
Officer
Contact
Details
[email protected]
Direct Dial: 0141 276 8369
John Gillies
Assessment
Officers
John Gillies
Marie Maguire
Wendy Doherty
Clare WalkerPrice
Title
Division
Chief Revenues & Benefits
Manager(Service Delivery)
Revenues & Benefits Manager
Administration Officer
Clerical Assistant
Revenues &
Benefits
Revenues &
Benefits
Assessors& ERO
Assessors & ERO
STEP 2 : Identifying the Policy / Function
Name of policy / function
Equal Pay Policy & The impact of the pay, grading and benefits
structure on the Strathclyde Pension Fund uptake
following implementation of the Workforce, Pay, Benefits
& Review (WPBR)
Is this a new policy / function
Has the policy / function been assessed before, if so indicate date
NO
NO
Step 3: Research and Consultation
These are the sources of evidence used and the key facts that informed the assessment
of the policy.
o Membership breakdown prior to implementation of WPBR -1/04/06 by:
-Age
-Gender
-Income level
No information is held in relation to disability, sexual orientation, faith and belief or BME.
o Measure the number of members who have joined the Pension Scheme since
the implementation of WPBR using the same categories.
o Availability of Information available to staff considering joining the Pension
Scheme
o What’s on the CONNECT site
o Consider the +/- effects of the new pension scheme being implemented from 1st
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April 2009
o Identify any barriers that may prevent staff from accessing the scheme
Stakeholder Consultation
o Meet with Pension Staff who deliver pension information at new employee
induction stage.
o Gauge from pension staff who deliver a presentation at induction the number of
joiners who sign up at induction
o Identify reasons why people do/don’t join the PS – establish whether there is
evidence or is it anecdotal.
o Survey a sample of new employees who have either opted in/out of joining
The Pension Scheme.
STEP 4 : EVIDENCE GATHERED IN THE PROCESS OF CARRYING OUT THIS
ASESSMENT
Workforce profile at 31/03/2006
Dept
Chief Execs
Direct & Care
Development
&
Regeneration
Education
Environmental
& Protection
Services
Finance
Land Services
Social Work
Unknown
Departments
Number of
Females
482
7693
333
Number of
Males
337
1120
431
4436
234
848
574
4012
N/A
Total
Percentage
Female
Percentage
Male
819
8813
764
58.85
41.15
87.29
43.59
12.71
56.41
419
1497
4855
1731
91.37
13.52
8.63
86.48
356
2190
1481
N/A
1204
2764
5493
N/A
70.43
20.77
73.04
N/A
29.57
79.23
26.96
N/A
Percentage
Female
Percentage
Male
Pension Service Membership at 31/03/2006
Dept
Number of
Females
Chief Execs
Direct & Care
Development &
Regen
Education
Environmental
& Protection
Services
Finance
Land Services
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Number of
Males
Total
276
1483
165
150
381
210
426
1864
375
65%
80%
44%
35%
20%
56%
1780
156
255
1014
2035
1170
87%
13%
13%
87%
531
301
262
1399
793
1700
67%
18%
33%
82%
Social Work
Unknown
Departments
2308
587
903
577
3211
1164
72%
50%
28%
50%
Workforce Profile at 31/03/2008
Dept
Chief Execs
Direct & Care
Development
&
Regeneration
Education
Environmental
& Protection
Services
Finance
Land Services
Social Work
Unknown
Departments
Number of
Females
507
6505
280
Number of
Males
280
1135
423
Total
5453
159
923
1391
6376
1550
85.52
10.26
14.48
89.74
749
354
3918
N/A
288
2133
1390
N/A
1037
2487
5308
N/A
72.23
14.23
73.81
N/A
27.77
85.77
26.19
N/A
Percentage
Male
37
20
57
787
7640
703
Percentage Percentage
Female
Male
64.42
35.58
85.14
14.86
39.83
60.17
Pension Service Membership at 31/03/2008
Dept
Chief Execs
Direct & Care
Development
&
Regeneration
Education
Environmental
& Protection
Services
Finance
Land Services
Social Work
Unknown
Departments
Number of
Females
287
1601
168
Number of
Males
166
394
219
Total
453
1995
387
Percentage
Female
63
80
43
1972
158
267
1023
2239
1181
88
13
12
87
547
293
2411
1328
271
1407
955
787
818
1700
3366
2115
67
17
72
63
33
83
28
37
There is evidence to confirm that overall the membership of the Pension scheme has
increased since 1/04/07 and in particular a greater number of women have joined
following WPBR.
Availability of information to new employees: A starter pack is provided to all new
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employees that includes:
o
o
o
o
o
Scheme Guide
Nomination Form
Prompt for any previous pension to be transferred into the scheme
AVC information.
In addition to this individual departments can invite Pension Service Liaison
Officers to deliver this information at induction to new employees but there is no
corporate approach to this.
o
Information in alternative formats is not readily available, although on request
some provision will be made to provide this where required.
o
The Council’s internal web site CONNECT contains some information about the
pension scheme with key contact details listed. There is also an on-line calculator
that provides indicative figures for information purposes.
o
From 1st April 2009 the pension scheme has changed with the key emphasis
being on improved benefits for the contributor:
More pension – pension accrual is 1/60th of final salary previously 1/80th
More targeted ill health benefits
More flexibility on retirement – people born before 1st April 1960 retain their
Rights under the Rule of 85
More protection for nominated beneficiaries – including same sex couples
o
o
o
o
o
STEP 5 : STAKEHOLDER CONSULTATION
In conducting this assessment we consulted with staff employed within the pension
service and issued an electronic survey to a selection of new employees who have
joined the Council within the last 12 months in a variety of roles from manual worker to
senior professional. The sample included employees who had joined the pension service
and others who had opted not to join. The electronic survey was anonymous and we
also took the opportunity to build in some equality monitoring questions. The sample
survey is appended at Appendix A.
The staff within the pension service confirmed that there is no established pattern across
the Council to make staff aware of the pension scheme. Some departments invite the
pension scheme liaison officers along to every induction; others never request a
representative. This is a concern to the pension service staff that new employees may
be missing out on a key employee benefit through lack of face-to -face communication.
The pension service relies heavily on individual HR departments within the Council to
promote the fund; there are no planned recruitment drives to capture existing employees
who are not members or regular publicity drives to increase membership.
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As the scheme is changing, individual departments can request presentations for staff
but in the main reliance on raising awareness is through brochures distributed to HR
departments for dissemination to all members as well as features within the Councils’
staff monthly magazine “The Insider”.
Pension staff were asked if they tracked how many people joined the scheme following a
presentation at induction and conversely knew how many attendees opted not to join.
There are no recording mechanisms in place for this but anecdotal evidence suggests
that gender plays a large part, particularly amongst older women who have a partner
and they believe their partner’s pension will provide enough for both of them. People
who are at the lower end of the pay scale feel they can’t afford to contribute to a pension
and fail to grasp that they would pay less income tax and national insurance as well as a
lower contribution, based on the new scheme’s tiered rates.
Interestingly there are staff based within the pension section that are not members yet
they deal with it daily but fail to recognise the benefit to themselves.
The sample survey of new employees was undertaken in April 2009. 100 people across
the Council were selected to take part split 50/50 by gender. The response rate was
82% of which 39 were male and the other 43 female. The main findings from the survey
are summarised as follows:
o xxxxxx
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Step 6 : Key Findings
Based on the evidence gathered and consultation with internal stakeholders and
employees the following was identified:
BME:
o
o
o
o
Eligible to join the PS
Number of BME contributors not known
Pension information is not available in other languages
There is no monitoring data captured
GENDER:
o No barriers to joining
o Information on number male/females in the pension scheme are known
o The number of women in the pension scheme has increased following WPBR
DISABILITY
o No barriers to joining the pension scheme
o Same benefits apply
o There is no monitoring data captured
o
AGE
o
o
o
Information is not available in alternative formats e.g. audio/Braille/large print.
Information on age of contributors is captured
Possibility older women are disadvantaged in joining the scheme
Retirement age for men and women has been equalized
SEXUALITY
o Same benefits apply
o Same sex couples have the same status as other couples
RELIGION and BELIEF
o No monitoring data available
o Unable to assess the impact as no data is held
GRADE
o Contributions are linked to pay
STEP 7 : CONCLUSION
Glasgow City Council offers many employee benefits but the opportunity to join the
occupational pension scheme is considered to be the main employee benefit available to
all employees but through this assessment there is evidence to show that the Council
needs to do more to promote the scheme to both new and existing employees.
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There is statistical evidence illustrating that the workforce profile is changing and
becoming more diverse yet the promotional literature of the pension scheme is only
readily available in one language. Not all service departments invite a pension service
liaison officer to deliver a face-to-face communication at new starts induction to fully
promote the pension scheme and this may explain why some service departments have
a lower rate of take-up from others. A more consistent approach in delivering the key
messages to all new employees incorporating monitoring of take-up and frequently
asked questions would better inform the pension service of the main reasons/issues as
to why new staff opt not to join the Strathclyde Pension Fund.
STEP 8: RECOMMENDATIONS
STEP 9 : Approval / Signing off
Who is responsible for approving the recommendations
The recommendations will require to be approved by the Head of Pensions and the
Executive Director of Financial Services
How will recommendations be implemented
The recommendations will be introduced via an action plan approved by the Head of
Pensions with agreed timescales for implementation. The Financial Services equality
representatives will play an active role in the monitoring and reporting progress against
plan to the Financial Services Leadership team (FSLT).
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ACTION/TASK
Promote the
Strathclyde
Pension Fund
to new
employees in a
consistent and
corporate way
Introduce
monitoring at
new staff
induction
including
equality
monitoring data
Monitor the
number of male
and female
employees in
the Strathclyde
Pension Fund
relative to the
ratio of male
and female
employees in
the Council
Monitor the
number of BME
employees in
the Strathclyde
Pension Fund
relative to the
ratio of BME
employees in
the Council
Expand the
web site
information to
include
availability of
information in
alternative
formats and
monitor
demand
Target the
PLANNED
OUTCOME
All staff will
be informed
about the
benefits of
joining the
pension
scheme
Pension
service will
be better
informed
about
members
needs and
the reasons
why new staff
opt not to join
Provides as
indication to
the Council
that there is
no gender
differential in
membership
in the fund
LEAD
RESPONSIBILITY
Financial
Services-Pensions
in conjunction with
Corporate HR
Provides as
indication to
the Council
that the
number of
BME
employees in
the fund is
proportionate
to the diverse
growth in the
workforce
profile
Will meet the
needs of
BME,
Disabled
contributors
and inform
pension
service of
requirements
Financial
Services-Pensions
This will
Financial
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Financial
ServicesPensions in
conjunction with
Corporate HR
Financial
Services-Pensions
Financial Services
-Pensions
TIMESCALE DATE
COMPLETED
promotion of
the Strathclyde
Pension Fund
where
monitoring data
shows there is
a below
average level of
take-up
Introduce an
annual drive to
encourage
take-up of the
scheme e.g.
after April of
each year when
annual
increments/pay
awards are
effected
Introduce an
exit survey for
members who
opt to leave the
scheme
ensure
Services-Pensions
regular drives
are
undertaken to
maximize
membership
of the
scheme
To maximize
the
membership
of the
scheme
Financial
Services-Pensions
Will better
inform the
Council and
the Pension
Service why
employees
leave the
scheme
Financial
Services-Pensions
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