A COMMITMENT TO communication, reward and responding to individual needs has helped Stoke on Trent City Council staff rank the organisation 33rd among all 75 public sector organisations in our list for the Fair Deal it offers to them. The council administers schools, social services, housing, regeneration and refuse collections in its region and also looks after its own people well. The 6,899-strong workforce get a maximum 32 days' holiday annually and perks include enhanced maternity and paternity pay, free sports facilities, a car allowance, loans and discounted services. The organisation also adds 15.5% to top up the 5.5% minimum that employees pay into the contributory pension scheme. Council pride is high, with initiatives such as the Wow awards, where clients can nominate staff for outstanding customer service. Achievements are celebrated throughout the year and the council has a Good Ideas Wizard scheme that rewards innovation by giving employees the opportunity to suggest improvements. A weekly newsletter keeps everyone up-to-date with both work-related information and forthcoming social events. Employees care a great deal about providing a great service (the 94% positive score for this question was beaten by just two other big organisations). Work is an important part of who they are (72%) and they believe that they can make a valuable contribution to the success of the council (76%), the top score among big organisations on our list. www.stoke.gov.uk
