Equality Impact Assessments (EIAs) are public documents. EIAs accompanying reports going to county councillors for decisions are published with the committee papers on our website and are available in hard copy at the relevant meeting. To help people find completed EIAs, we also publish them in our website's equality and diversity section. This will help people to see for themselves how we have paid due regard in order to meet statutory requirements.
| Title | Contact |
|---|---|
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Name of Directorate and Service Area |
HR, Central services |
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Lead Officer and contact details |
Sarah Barron |
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Names and roles of other people involved in carrying out the EIA |
Sarah Barron, HR BP for HR and OD Joanna Morgan, HR BP, HR Policy lead |
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How will you pay due regard? for example, working group, individual officer |
Working group under LGR process (included representatives from all councils and 5 workstreams); HRSMT review; Shared with UNISON; Final decision with Management Board, March 2023. |
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When did the due regard process start? |
June 2022 – LGR workshop drawing together ways of working across all former councils, benchmark information, and comparison approaches from other local authorities; Policy development commenced September 2022 under LGR workstream |
Section 1. Please describe briefly what this EIA is about for example, are you starting a new service, changing how you do something, stopping doing something?
The hybrid working policy formalises working arrangements that have previously been in place, informally and formally, across all former councils bringing together how we work and approach delivery of our services in the new North Yorkshire Council.
The Council delivers a broad range of services to meet customer needs. How this is delivered varies depending on our service requirements, where and how our customers access our services, and our individual roles and team arrangements. We are flexible where we can be, and adaptable in our approach to our ways of working.
Hybrid working can enable some services to be delivered from a range of locations, optimising our range of workspaces and digital resources to deliver high performance in meeting customer needs. The Council is committed to providing excellent services to customers, and this is the focus for our teams and individual colleagues.
Where hybrid working is possible, based on service need, it is recognised that this can also be helpful to staff in providing a level of flexibility to their work location and arrangements which often enables a better work life balance as well as delivering good levels of productivity.
Hybrid working is a discretionary arrangement, suitable to some jobs more than others, and is not a contractual entitlement.
Section 2. Why is this being proposed? What are the aims? What does the authority hope to achieve by it? For example, to save money, meet increased demand, do things in a better way.
This is to provide a consistent approach to new ways of working for North Yorkshire Council that have been delivered across all former councils, learning from what we have trialled and tested to date. This includes how we work and where we work from, as we have learned (and continue to learn) from the many developments and experiences over recent years. There won’t be a ‘one size fits all’ solution for the Council as everyone’s needs, job roles and service delivery requirements are varied. Hybrid working can enable some services to be delivered from a range of locations, optimising our range of workspaces and digital resources to deliver customer needs.
Our Council vision, and our values and behaviours also help us to focus on our service delivery and our customer needs. In doing so, we contribute towards the development of our culture and continue to deliver value for money services to improve the customer experience. We also help to manage the risks to our environment from climate change by determining what travel requirements we need to fulfil our roles, maximising performance and productivity, with a focus on results and outcomes in keeping with the working principles and expectations outlined in the Hybrid policy.
Section 3. What will change? What will be different for customers and/or staff?
Customer focus is central to the Hybrid working policy, understanding customer expectations and being adaptable to improve our own services, and ensuring we meet customer needs throughout. We are flexible where we can be and adaptable in our approach whilst recognising that we will continue to deliver many services from specific locations and venues.
Arrangements across all former councils shared similar approaches, styles and understanding, whilst some of the language may have been varied (for example, agile, hybrid, homeworking), there are commonalities in practice.
This will continue to enhance our ways of working in the future for current and new employees – the change to most individuals will be minimal given the way we have needed to work in recent years, in response to delivering our services in an agile way and the considerable progress made to date. Discussions in teams meetings and in individuals 1-2-1s are important for teams and services to set out and understand their working arrangements (team checklist), applying the hybrid working policy that sets out manager and employee responsibilities as well as working principles, and these are applicable across all teams.
There are FAQS for managers and FAQs for staff that provide a wide range of answers to hybrid working arrangements, including health and safety matters and the most up to date information on risk assessments and colleagues should continue to be as supported and managed whether they are in a remote or physical workplace.
Section 4. Involvement and consultation. What involvement and consultation has been done regarding the proposal and what are the results? What consultation will be needed and how will it be done?
The hybrid working policy;
- draws on the practices of the former councils
- the NYCC practice was tested out over 2021/22 and colleagues’ views sought at various intervals
- the ‘voice your views’ full staff survey in 2021 included a section on future ways of working and provided opportunity for free text feedback, with findings shared at management board and at directorate leadership team meetings - this was followed by discussion with employee network groups and whole organisation summer engagement programme involving team and service level discussions
- having considered feedback and engagement, in April 2022 the trial of hybrid working launched with intranet information and resources, along with Directorate leadership team discussions including focus on workspace. FAQS were also provided
- colleagues across NYCC were encouraged to feedback, specific engagement took place seeking manager feedback through regular council-wide communications, and locality working group sessions were held with colleagues across North Yorkshire
- findings were reviewed at modern council board and factored in to LGR discussions
- the HDC practice was also tested, with workshops and home working surveys and HDC provided contributions to the development of the hybrid approach along with other former councils
- in June 2022, an LGR workstream engagement workshop took place drawing together practices (OD workstream sub group - 6 workstreams represented and former councils), and feedback, and reviewed approaches taken by other local authorities. Regular engagement followed with sub-group representatives
- LGR OD workstream focus groups in April and September 2022 confirmed colleague feedback from across councils was that they did not want to lose hybrid working from their working arrangements
- took the overall approach and ‘thinking so far’ to implementation team (former CEX from all former councils) – 1st December 2022
- the hybrid working policy was shared with UNISON on 10 March 2023
- the hybrid policy went to management board initially in January 23, then again on 28 March 23 with supporting documentation, toolkit and team checklist for final approval
- whilst the formal policy was new, the Hybrid working policy was part of the suite of policies and procedures of the continuing authority
Section 5. What impact will this proposal have on council budgets? Will it be cost neutral, have increased cost or reduce costs?
Please explain briefly why this will be the result.
As working arrangements have been in place for some years across all former councils, the introduction of this policy is not expected to have a financial impact however it is expected that it will continue to positively impact on the amount of unnecessary travel and expenses, with a blend of virtual and face to face delivery where appropriate, and we will continue to deliver value for money services to improve the customer experience.
Section 6. How will this proposal affect people with protected characteristics?
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Section 6. How will this proposal affect people with protected characteristics? |
No impact |
Make things better |
Make things worse |
Why will it have this effect? Provide evidence from engagement, consultation and/or service user data or demographic information etc. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
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Age |
X |
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Team checklist provides a template for discussions and the toolkit provides question prompts for engagement and support to help determine team and service hybrid working arrangements to meet customer needs. A variety of resources are provided to ensure everyone whose role enables hybrid working can do so effectively and with the skills required for example, access to videos and support for digital working. Age is not a factor for these decisions. |
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Disability |
X |
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Team checklist provides a template for discussions and the toolkit provides question prompts for engagement and support, to help determine individual, team and service hybrid working arrangements to meet customer needs. Disability is not a factor in these decisions. However, all colleagues are encouraged to discuss individual circumstances with their manager in order that appropriate arrangements can be made to support them to deliver their role, with reference to specialist OH advice where needed. FAQS are provided with signposting to appropriate risk assessments (DSE, PEEP etc) and any reasonable adjustments required will be made to ensure that employees with a disability are treated equally. North Yorkshire Council will provide equipment reasonably required for employees to work in a hybrid way, and this includes additional equipment resulting from risk assessments, such as chair, keyboard, mouse, screen. Employees and managers should discuss and agree additional requirements and possible solutions, and where appropriate progress requests for equipment. Solutions may also include ensuring appropriate workspace is available in an office location subject to individual circumstances. |
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Sex |
X |
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Team checklist provides a template for discussions and the toolkit provides question prompts for engagement and support, to help determine team and service hybrid working arrangements to meet customer needs. Sex is not a factor for these decisions. |
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Race |
X |
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Team checklist provides a template for discussions and the toolkit provides question prompts for engagement and support, to help determine team and service hybrid working arrangements to meet customer needs. Race is not a factor for these decisions. |
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Gender reassignment |
X |
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Team checklist provides a template for discussions and the toolkit provides question prompts for engagement and support, to help determine team and service hybrid working arrangements to meet customer needs. Gender re-assignment is not a factor for these decisions. |
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Sexual orientation |
X |
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Team checklist provides a template for discussions and the toolkit provides question prompts for engagement and support, to help determine team and service hybrid working arrangements to meet customer needs. Sexual orientation is not a factor for these decisions. |
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Religion or belief |
X |
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Team checklist provides a template for discussions and the toolkit provides question prompts for engagement and support, to help determine team and service hybrid working arrangements to meet customer needs. Religion or belief is not a factor for these decisions. |
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Pregnancy or maternity |
X |
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Team checklist provides a template for discussions and the toolkit provides question prompts for engagement and support, to help determine team and service hybrid working arrangements to meet customer needs. The hybrid policy is additional to existing policies and procedures and these are not affected by the introduction of this new policy. Pregnancy or maternity is not a factor for these discussions. |
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Marriage or civil partnership |
X |
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Team checklist provides template for discussions and the toolkit provides question prompts for engagement and support, to help determine team and service hybrid working arrangements to meet customer needs. Marriage or civil partnership is not a factor for these discussions. |
Section 7. How will this proposal affect people who
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Section 7. How will this proposal affect people who |
No impact |
Make things better |
Make things worse |
Why will it have this effect? Provide evidence from engagement, consultation and/or service user data or demographic information etc. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
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live in a rural area? |
X |
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Customer focus is central to the Hybrid working policy, understanding customer expectations and being adaptable to improve our own services, and ensuring we meet customer needs throughout. We are flexible where we can be and adaptable in our approach whilst recognising that we will continue to deliver many services from specific locations and venues across North Yorkshire. |
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have a low income? |
X |
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Customer focus is central to the Hybrid working policy, understanding customer expectations and being adaptable to improve our own services, and ensuring we meet customer needs throughout. We are flexible where we can be and adaptable in our approach whilst recognising that we will continue to deliver many services from specific locations and venues across North Yorkshire. Individual discussions will enable any personal circumstances to be considered and solutions discussed, including where it is more beneficial for a colleague to be based in the office. |
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are carers (unpaid family or friend)? |
X |
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Customer focus is central to the Hybrid working policy, understanding customer expectations and being adaptable to improve our own services, and ensuring we meet customer needs throughout. We are flexible where we can be and adaptable in our approach whilst recognising that we will continue to deliver many services from specific locations and venues across North Yorkshire. The hybrid policy is additional to existing policies and procedures and are not affected by the introduction of this new policy. Individual discussions will enable any personal circumstances to be considered and solutions discussed, including where the Flexible Working Policy may apply. |
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are from the Armed Forces Community |
X |
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Customer focus is central to the Hybrid working policy, understanding customer expectations and being adaptable to improve our own services, and ensuring we meet customer needs throughout. We are flexible where we can be and adaptable in our approach whilst recognising that we will continue to deliver many services from specific locations and venues across North Yorkshire. |
Section 8. Geographic impact – Please detail where the impact will be. Please tick all that apply
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Section 8. Geographic impact – Please detail where the impact will be (please tick all that apply) |
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North Yorkshire wide |
X |
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Craven |
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Hambleton |
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Harrogate |
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Richmondshire |
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Ryedale |
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Scarborough |
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Selby |
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If you have ticked one or more areas, will specific town(s)/village(s) be particularly impacted? If so, please specify below. |
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Section 9. Will the proposal affect anyone more because of a combination of protected characteristics? For example, older women or young gay men. State what you think the effect may be and why, providing evidence from engagement, consultation and/or service user data or demographic information etc.
There are no effects as a result of combined protected characteristics. Engagement through use of team checklists and 121 conversations enables individual discussion and any requirements to be taken into account and appropriate support offered. Other policies and procedures are in place and referred to where required and the Hybrid Policy is additional to them, for example, flexible working policy, health and safety policy, as well as risk assessments, reasonable adjustments.
Section 10. Next steps to address the anticipated impact. Select one of the following options and explain why this has been chosen. Remember: we have an anticipatory duty to make reasonable adjustments so that disabled people can access services and work for us
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Section 10. Next steps to address the anticipated impact. Select one of the following options and explain why this has been chosen. Remember: we have an anticipatory duty to make reasonable adjustments so that disabled people can access services and work for us |
Tick option chosen |
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X |
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Explanation of why the option has been chosen. Include any advice given by Legal Services. Hybrid working is a discretionary arrangement, suitable to some jobs more than others, and is not a contractual entitlement. Reasonable adjustments can be considered to support individuals who are able to work in a hybrid way and wish to. Support and resources are provided, by way of FAQS and toolkit resources for managers and colleagues to help with discussions and provide signposting to related policies, procedures and resources. Team checklists are to be working documents, allowing flexibility for updates and changes. |
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Section 11. If the proposal is to be implemented how will you find out how it is really affecting people? How will you monitor and review the changes?
The team checklist is to be a working document, and regularly reviewed. Colleagues can feed back their experiences to their managers, through corporate communications routes, for example, including Yammer, and this may feature in an overall staff engagement survey.
Section 12. Action plan. List any actions you need to take which have been identified in this EIA, including post implementation review to find out how the outcomes have been achieved in practice and what impacts there have actually been on people with protected characteristics.
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Action |
Lead |
By when |
Progress |
Monitoring arrangements |
|---|---|---|---|---|
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Launch of the Hybrid Policy |
Management Board |
May 2023 |
Ongoing |
Review September 2023 |
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Team checklist completion |
Managers / teams |
May / June 2023 |
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For HoS and Assistant Directors June / July 2023 |
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Directorate Leadership team discussions |
Directors and Assistant Directors |
July/August 2023 |
For moderation |
Moderation responses to be collated for management board discussion |
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Ongoing moderation |
DLT and Management Board |
Ongoing |
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For moderation of arrangements going forward |
Section 13. Summary Summarise the findings of your EIA, including impacts, recommendation in relation to addressing impacts, including any legal advice, and next steps. This summary should be used as part of the report to the decision maker.
The hybrid working policy was developed to help aid our ways of working across North Yorkshire Council. This followed a significant number of years developing agile approaches to modern working practices, testing out hybrid approaches, and drawing together the practice of all 8 former councils.
It is acknowledged that this is not a ‘one size fits all’ solution as everyone’s needs, job roles and service delivery requirements are varied. The hybrid policy is supported by toolkit resources, including a team checklist and FAQs that were developed to help managers and all colleagues, guiding conversations and providing signposting to additional support and related policies and procedures.
Individual conversations are encouraged to ensure personal considerations and wellbeing are included in reaching the most appropriate solution for working arrangements. There is the expectation that the team checklist is a working document for regular review and update. The EIA review includes reference to extensive preparatory work, testing and engagement, related policies and procedures as well as individual 1-2-1 conversations between managers and team members, ensuring individuals and teams are contributing to discussion and outcomes. Moderation is included in the policy roll out and in ongoing arrangements by directorate leadership teams and management board.
Any policy review will follow usual arrangements.
Section 14. Sign off section
This full EIA was completed by:
Name: Sarah Barron
Job title: HR Business Partner
Directorate: Central Services
Signature: Sarah Barron
Completion date: September 2023
Authorised by relevant Assistant Director (signature):
Date: 24.10.2023