Equality Act 2010

The Council has a legal duty, under the Equality Act 2010, to publish annually, workforce information relating to the “protected characteristics”:

• age
• disability
• gender reassignment
• marriage and civil partnership
• pregnancy and maternity
• race (including ethnic or national origins, colour or nationality)
• religion or belief
• sex
• sexual orientation

Workforce overview

The Council had 2,594 (2,288.35 full-time equivalent) employees on 30 September 2024, excluding those in schools:

• 1,521 (61%) are Female
• 1,033 (39%) are Male 
• 1,427 (55%) are White/White British staff (including White Irish and White Other)
• 960 (37%) are from a Black, Asian and Multi-Ethnic background
• 128  (5.3%) have shared they have a disability or long term physical or mental health condition
• 61  (2.4% have shared they are LGBT+

An updated profile of the workforce by protected characteristics will be published by 31 March 2025. 

See also Gender and Ethnicity Pay Gap Reporting.

Gender and Ethnicity Pay Gap Reporting

We have a long tradition of promoting equality and were: 

The first council in the country to adopt a Gender Equality Charter in 2016. The charter is a commitment of the Council and our partners to create a fair and just society with a strong emphasis on ensuring everyone has the same chance to succeed however they identify in terms of gender.

One of the first local authorities to sign up to the national Race at Work Charter. The charter sets out five key principles that we have publicly committed to and demonstrates that we are determined to take action to be representative of the communities that we serve.

We have voluntarily produced our ethnicity pay gap, using the methodology set out by the Government and are looking at publishing pay gaps for other groups with protected characteristics in the future.

Gender and Ethnicity Pay Gap Report 2024 (PDF, 344.49 KB)

Gender and Ethnicity Pay Gap Report 2023 (PDF, 342.95 KB)

Gender and Ethnicity Pay Gap Report 2022 (PDF, 335.19 KB)

LBBD Gender pay gap reports on the government website

Pay policy statement

Our pay policy statement meets the requirements of the Localism Act 2011 for the London Borough of Barking and Dagenham and is agreed by members in full Council.  It includes:

• The level and elements of pay for each chief officer (the Chief Executive and Directors of the Council).
• The pay of its lowest-paid employees (together with its definition of lowest-paid employees and its reasons for adopting that definition)
• The Council’s pay multiple - the ratio between the highest paid employee (the Chief Executive) and lowest paid employee.
• Other specific aspects of chief officers’ pay: pay on recruitment, increases and additions to pay, use of performance-related pay and bonuses, termination payments, and transparency.

Any changes are approved following a vote at an open meeting of full Council, and will result in the Pay Policy Statement being updated.

Pay Policy Statement 2024/2025

Pay Policy Statement 2023/2024

Pay Policy Statement 2022/2023

Senior staff pay (staff earning over £50,000) / Exit packages

All councils are expected to publish details of the salaries of all senior management staff and staff that earn over £50,000 (in bands of £5,000), and the number of exit packages.  This information is published in the Annual Statement of Accounts.

Trade Unions

Recognised Trade Unions

The Council recognises the following trade unions and teacher associations:

• GMB
• UNISON
• UNITE
• ASCL
• NAHT
• NASUWT
• NEU

Trade union facility time

Trade union representatives have a statutory right to time off under Trade Union and Labour Relations (Consolidation) Act 1992.

As explained in the ACAS Code of Practice 3, the general purpose of the legislation is to ‘aid and improve the effectiveness of relationships between employers and trade unions’. This includes representing members, consultation on redundancy situations, workplace and health and safety matters, and/or where the Transfer of Undertakings (Protection of Employees) Regulations (TUPE) apply, 

Publication of trade union facility time

Public-sector organisations that employ more than 49 full-time employees are required to submit data relating to the use of facility time in the previous year ending 31 March; this must be published separately in relation to its “central function” and “education function” employees by 31 July.

2023-2024 education function employees (PDF, 128.79 KB)

2023-2024 central function employees (PDF, 110.61 KB)