Oakham Town Council New Office Opening Hours We don't want your visits

At this weeks staffing committee members will be asked to consider changes to the council office opening hours.

The Clerks frequent absence has prompted this possible change, if the clerk is of sick on a Friday the part-time assistant is often unable to cover the absence.

If the change is approved, this will see the office closed to the public on Friday. The Clerk will work behind closed doors.

Reading the attached appendix you have to question the purpose of the office, this is  costing the tax payer over £10,000 a year in rent. The council would also prefer there were no visits? They also admit once again the interest and need from the public is very low.

From APPENDIX B Item 5

It would also be simple to put a notice on the door on Fridays stating that the office is open. (I think that should read closed) However, the advertised opening hours are posted on the website and the notice boards and this may discourage people visiting anyway.

Visits by members of the public to the office are infrequent and there is an answering machine for telephone calls.

The same document says the problem is not frequent then members are asked to set a procedure for the Clerk and Assistant to report sickness and absence. Until now the approach to this has been very sloppy. Ex Mayor Sharon Spencer said the Clerk would often take sick leave if he felt anything she was asking was a issue for him.


APPENDIX D 


The final paragraph may see the end of repeated sickness, the council is attempting to send the employees of for a medical examination. The Councils Occupational Health Advisor (Thats a new post I am guessing this is another of Cllr Dewis suggestions taken from a document he may have produced in the past for Rutland County Council.) The document acknowledges the Access to Medical Reports Act 1988. the employee will have to give signed consent so the council can approach there GP for a medical report.

If I was an employee I would not want gossips Cllr Lucas, Haworth and Dewis receiving any confidential document from my doctor.