Council staff are close to home

by Nadia Sam-Daliri

The council is head and shoulders above neighbouring authorities in employing staff who from the borough.

Around 40 per cent of workers at Brent Council live within the borough boundary, newly released employment figures for 2008 show.

This is compared to an 18 per cent local workforce at Westminster City Council and a 32 per cent figure for Hammersmith and Fulham.

A Brent Council spokesman said: "Brent Council employees are highly committed to the borough and with around 40 per cent living locally the council's workforce has very close, long-term ties to the area.

"Staff who are also customers can scrutinise services in a unique manner and act as ambassadors for the council on matters like recycling and community safety.

"It's also good to provide local jobs for local people and discourage long-distance commuting which adds to congestion and pollution."

Brent's high local employment record comes in the same month that the council received an award for being a top employer.

Jobs assessor, Work Wise UK branded the council a '21st century employer' for creating a positive environment to work in and allowing staff to work flexible hours.

Praise was given to town hall chiefs for giving employees the option of buying or selling annual leave, working from home, job sharing and taking employment breaks.

Parents can also choose to work in term times only.

Methods for keeping carbon emissions down, like minimising staff journeys, were also praised.

Last week Karen Buck, MP for Regent's Park and Kensington North described Westminster's comparatively poor track record for giving residents jobs as 'depressing'.

Ms Buck said that local authorities are a major source of jobs and, as the recession bites, should be providing more work for the unemployed in their own departments.

nadia.sam-daliri@archant.co.uk