HEREFORDSHIRE Council’s employment panel has recommended this year’s pay structure for their officers.

The policy statement, which will be considered by full council, includes a bottom pay rate of £9 per hour for its lowest graded employees and a top hourly pay of £78.20 for the position of chief executive.

The new annual salary for the council’s top job is £150,873 while the pay rate for the children and families, economy and place and the adults and communities’ directors is £124,860 which works out at £64.72 an hour.

The council says it is committed to fair pay and grading determined by a robust and objective job evaluation process.

The new statement takes into account the changes introduces in the National Joint Council pay agreement for 2018-20 which introduces a new pay spine on April 1, this year.

The council does not apply any bonuses or performance related pay to its employees and pension enhancements are made in line with the council’s Local Government Pension Scheme discretions policy.