FOI request (FOIR-667117780)

Staff wellbeing in the public sector

Requested Mon 02 December 2024
Responded Fri 17 January 2025

Response

Please accept my apologies for the delay in responding. 

1. Verna Connolly, Head of People and Business Support. 

2.

Hybrid Working (Dependant on service requirement)

Flexitime (dependant on service requirements)

LGPS (Local Government Pension Scheme)

Lifestyle Discounts

Shared Cost AVCs provided by My Money Matters

E-Learning Hub, Flexible Working Requests (e.g. Compressed Hours)

Free Eye tests for VDU users + discount off selected glasses for sole VDU use

Cycle to work scheme

Staff Parking Voucher Scheme

Sabbatical (after 20 years at Hastings Borough Council (HBC))

Long Service Award (after 25 years at HBC)

Annual leave base of 27 days (maximum 37 days after 15 years service)

Flu Jabs for frontline staff not eligible for free flue jabs

Occupational Health referrals

Special types of leave - Adoption Leave, Career Break, Carer's Leave, Compassionate Leave, Disability Special Leave and planned disability leave, emergency care leave, fertility treatment leave, fostering leave, enhanced maternity leave, medical screening leave, parental leave, enhanced paternity leave, territorial and auxiliary services leave, shared parental leave, contractual sick leave.

3. Refused 

NOTICE OF REFUSAL

The information you have requested relating to companies used is commercially sensitive and falls under Section 43 of the Freedom of Information Act – Commercially Sensitive Information.

Information prejudicing commercial interests – commercial interest relating to an organisations commercial activity and may include trading activity procurement and relationships with third parties.

The exemption afforded by Section 43 is subject to what is known as the ‘public interest test’.  When applying the test in a particular case a public authority is deciding whether the public interest is better served by non-disclosure than by disclosure. 

Although the Freedom of Information Act does not define ‘in the public interest’, there is a presumption under Freedom of Information that openness is in the public interest.  In applying the public interest test a public authority will take into account the distinction that has been often made by courts between things that are in the public interest, and things that merely interest the public.  Where applicants have not identified public interest considerations succinctly or accurately, the public authority has a responsibility under the Act to make their own assessment of the public interest considerations in the particular case.

We have identified the following public interest factors that may be seen as encouraging the disclosure of information:

a)    accountability of public spending

We consider these factors to be of limited relevance in relation to the information in question.

Public interest factors seen as encouraging non-disclosure are, generally, the exemptions themselves.   In consideration of this matter we came to the following conclusions:

a)   ensuring that companies are able to compete for business fairly

b)   damage to reputation and/or financial interests

In weighing the factors for and against disclosure we have concluded that the likely benefit to the applicant and the wider public of disclosure is outweighed by the likely prejudice caused by such disclosure and that therefore the public interest is better served by non-disclosure. 

For the reasons given above we will not be communicating to you the information you have requested.

4. Contract end date for one company is 25th August 2025, others have no end date. 

5. Staff numbers: 381 includes casual but excludes contractors/temporary staff.

6. Turnover rate 15.7%.

7. Information not held. 

8. Information not held - this is part of a larger budget and not broken down.