Negotiating starting pay - local council

[signsofspring123]

I have been offered an admin job with our local council. I am way over qualified and experienced but due to time out of work for caring responsibilities I am starting again. In my favour they also let slip I was by far the best candidate.

It is advertised as "starting salary £24 - £26452".
I currently earn £24, 500 so wondering how I approach pay negotiations.
I understand the local councils pay bands are pretty rigid but given this is a starting salary pay band there must be room for negotiating. Ideally I am looking to start on at least £25, 5000.

Any advice much appreciated

You will be able to see the spinal points in each pay band if you Google xxx council pay bands.

I would be VERY surprised if you got anywhere other than the first spinal point on the scale, given the nature of the role.

However, you lose nothing by asking.

I'm just about to start a new job with a local council having worked in private consultancy for the last decade. I'll be taking a pay cut of roughly a third in the new job and was told I would absolutely have to start at the bottom of the pay scale, it's council policy and there is no way they could offering me anything above it. Don't know if it's the same across the board but I've heard it from at least two other councils previously

In the council I work for there is no room at all for pay negotiations, everyone starts on the first level. Maybe chief execs etc could negotiate but no-one else. I tried and other colleagues tried but were told that is the salary and “ take it or leave it”

As far as I know it’s council policy, ours will consider it if you’re exceptional and the finding is there. Often depending on department the money simply isn’t there.
You could ask of course, no harm at all.

Just to add the pay in council jobs is rubbish and no one really does it for the money. But there are other benefits in my council most roles allow flexible working and it’s easy to build up flexi time to get additional days off, the holiday allowance is decent and you can buy additional holidays if you need it to help cover school holidays. Also the sickness pay period is good, if you end up like me needing a major operation soon after you start with them.

Thank you...but why does the advert explicity state "starting salary" as a scale if you can only ever start at the bottom?

I am surprised it says that tbh. The fact that it says that is the only reason I don't think there's any harm in asking.

Negotiated mine and the key is to never do it on an exact precise number so he won 25,000 going something random like £25,679. So you can negotiate and meet in the middle.
but if you're applying to work at a council that is at risk of a section 114 it might be tricky

If you are unhappy with the starting salary, just wait until you get to annual pay reviews 🙃

@MotherOfRatios what does Section 114 refer to?

Ok so risk of bankruptcy...a quick google doesn't bring up anything for my LC

Outside hires are almost always on the first salary point. If you're applying from another department they will sometimes match your current salary within that band, hence the scale rather than just a figure.

Yep this is it.

As an external candidate, you start at the bottom of the pay scale.

To allow for pay awards under performance management.

Performance management is annual. You will be expected to evidence your performance against your targets, to be awarded a pay increment.

https://www.newstatesman.com/spotlight/economic-growth/regional-development/2024/01/council-bankruptcy-tracker-local-government-authorities-finances
have a look at this to see if they are at risk

I am honestly realistic about local government pay but it seems spurious to externally advertise a starting scale if they have no intention to negotiate.
Surely it would just state "starting pay £xxxxx" (take it or leave it!)

Role dependant though.

I don't have flexitime, or TOIL, can't take leave in term time, require permission for more than 10 days at any one time, can only carry forward 5 days leave each year, no access to additional leave, expected to work beyond the working day, no overtime pay, etc etc.

I earn poorly too for my role.

They typically don’t put out separate adverts for external/internal, hence it states this. If internal then it matches your current, external is bottom of the payscale.

Hmm am wondering if it is worth my while then

Because the salary band is set by the job description and to allow for performance management increments.

The salary band isn't about the person applying or their experience. Any additional experience when compared to the job description is not required for the role and therefore surplus.

There is no need to pay for ‘surplus’ experience.

It is an objective policy, not about each individual.

I mean you’re not talking big numbers anyway, so I don’t see that it makes a massive amount of difference really?

You say you’re currently on 24,500 and want to start on 25,500, even if you got it, that’s still only £1000 annually, £83 a month “better off” but actually once you factor in tax/pension, it’s not even £83 a month better off?

Or if you go in at £24k, you’re only £500 annually worse off, £41 a month ish, and again that’s before tax etc is taken off.

The figures aren’t going to sell you the job either way, so the question is do you want the job, are there other benefits?

The other thing with councils to consider is that you’re never going to get any kind of big pay rise or “bonus”.

Never any harm in asking and you could check spinal points online and try suggest a couple higher. Although I doubt you'll get anywhere budgets are incredibly tight in LA and there policies are really ridgid.

I went from private to public sector and was disappointed too that there is absolutely no maneuver on pay it seems very odd if its not what you're used to.

All 6 authorities I have worked for negotiate on salary throughout the services I manage.

Most councils budget on establishment being on the top of the grade.

Sorry, does they mean it's worth trying to negotiate?

I did an internal move (up one grade) and managed to negotiate starting on spinal point 2 within that grade. That was mainly because they wouldn't uphold my flexible working though.