Employee News 2020, Issue 45 - Thank you to our Workforce from the Council

On Thursday 18 June, Council held its first meeting since the lockdown began in March.  The meeting was held remotely and streamed live on YouTube, an approach that will be taken for future meetings while restrictions remain as a result of Covid-19.

As Joint Council Leaders, we took the opportunity at the start of the Council Meeting to acknowledge the significant effort of you, our workforce, in responding to the hugely challenging Covid-19 pandemic.

We asked our fellow Councillors to support us in formally recognising your efforts and in thanking you sincerely, on behalf of the Council, for your part in our response to this global pandemic.

Every one of our communities has been impacted by Covid-19 and every one of our communities has benefitted from both the services that have continued to be delivered from the outset through your efforts - and those services that have been reintroduced as restrictions have been lifted and health and safety measures have allowed.

We have again given a commitment that your health, safety and wellbeing is paramount.  We will continue to ensure that appropriate risk assessments and protection measures are in place to keep you safe and well as you continue to work, or return to work as further key services are able to be reintroduced.

A range of measures are in place to address concerns and to provide support, including the Employee Assistance information in the Covid-19 section of the new Employee Zone on the Council website.  This can be accessed from any device connected to the internet and not just from the Council network. 

So, thank you once again from the whole Council for your commitment and continued efforts – to those of you on the frontline, those in our offices and Education Hubs, those keeping our facilities open, carrying out new roles and those working from home.  Our East Dunbartonshire residents have all hugely benefitted and we are pleased to formally acknowledge this.

Thank you


Councillor Andrew Polson & Councillor Vaughan Moody
Joint Council Leaders

Those who were able to watch the public streaming of the Council meeting on YouTube will have heard the Joint Leaders’ comments.  For those who were not able to watch the Council meeting, the opening remarks are attached for your information:

Council Meeting 18 June
Joint Leaders – Opening Remarks

 

Councillor Andrew Polson

Thank you Provost. 
As Joint Leaders of the Council, Councillor Moody and I felt it was really important that we acknowledge the amazing response of our workforce to the Covid-19 pandemic at this our first, Council Meeting since the lockdown began back in March.

It has been said many times, but the global Covid-19 pandemic is the most challenging experience we have faced in a generation, impacting every aspect of our personal and working lives.  This remote Council meeting is testament to the huge changes we have had to make and the digital solutions we have been putting in place as we continue to respond and adapt to the guidance that is keeping us safe and controlling the spread of the virus.

The impact of Covid-19 on all of our communities over the past three months has been immense and it has been challenging.  And we want to extend our heartfelt thanks and appreciation to each and every one of our employees on behalf of the Council, for all that they have done and continue to do to keep our vital services delivered to our communities and to keep the Council functioning in these unprecedented times.

We understand the challenges faced by our workforce on the frontline and those attending their workplace to access systems and facilities to carry out their roles.  And we also recognise the different challenges being faced by those that are having to work from home and those that are now undertaking different roles to those they carried out before Covid-19 impacted every aspect of Council service delivery.

Provost I would hope that all Councillors would agree to Councillor Moody and myself, in our capacity as Joint Leaders, sending our thanks to all employees on behalf of the Council and formally recognising the response of each and everyone to this ongoing pandemic.


Councillor Vaughan Moody

I would echo all that my fellow Joint Leader Councillor Polson has said.  It is hugely important that our workforce is formally recognised and thanked for their efforts and their commitment in these most challenging of times.

The resilience, flexibility and commitment demonstrated across all of our services has been our absolute pleasure to witness.   Our communities have hugely benefitted from the emergency and critical services that we have delivered from the outset - and from the further essential services we have been able to reintroduce as safety and public health guidance has permitted. 

The health, safety and wellbeing of every one of our workforce is paramount and we have ensured that appropriate risk assessments and protection measures have been put in place to keep everyone safe and well as they have either continued to work  - or returned to work as further key services have been able to recommence.

We will continue with this approach and to reassure our workforce that they are invaluable.  We have a range of measures in place to address concerns and to provide support, and our new Employee Zone on the Council website has been a really positive online digital development that all of our workforce can access from anywhere – not just those on our council network.

Provost, to conclude, I would hope as Councillor Polson has suggested, that all Councillors will support our proposal to formally recognise and thank our workforce for all that they have done and all that they continue to do as the pandemic continues.

And in thanking them, we would also like to reassure them that their health, safety and wellbeing will continue to be our absolute priority.  To reassure them that as guidance changes, restrictions continue to be lifted and normality begins to return, we will always ensure that our workforce is protected and supported in the roles they carry out with this Council.

Thank you.