“Steps for Specialists. Remuneration of Local Self-Government Employees” is at its finish line. Why is this direction important today? People are among our most important resources, especially in times of war. They support the country, its development and stability both in the rear and in the municipalities at the frontlines and near them. It is therefore critical to support the local self-government employees who work every day to strengthen the country. This was stated by Tetiana Korobka, Head of the Working Group on Human Resources Management of the U-LEAD with Europe Programme.
She believes that the remuneration of local self-government employees is an essential issue both for the employer and the employees. Decent working conditions undoubtedly affect the staff retention rates, and therefore the ability of the municipality to perform its functions and provide services to the public:
“For local self-government bodies, an effective and transparent system of remuneration is a key tool for attracting and retaining qualified personnel, a prerequisite for the high capacity and development of municipalities. However, it is also important to create a positive environment in the team, to apply individual approaches to non-financial incentives of employees. This helps to unite the team and increases its performance, as well as brings new hires to local self-government.”
The training programme “Steps for Specialists. Remuneration of Local Self-Government Employees” was designed to help municipalities increase the professional competence of individual professionals and expand their practical HR and accounting skills.
“This programme is also about the exchange of best practices among participants, fostering a professional community. And, of course, about practical tools and guidance that will help municipalities make informed decisions within the legal framework in the future,” said Ms Korobka.
30 teams representing 12 oblasts of Ukraine took part in the five-week training programme. They learned about the changes in the legislation on wages introduced under martial law and about the features of setting and processing wages in local self-government bodies.
Furthermore, according to Tetiana Korobka, the participants, together with the coaches, had a practice of preparing and analysing administrative documents needed for calculating wages, analysed relevant judicial practices and typical mistakes of municipalities when it comes to the remuneration of their employees:
“This enabled acquiring practical skills in the preparation and drafting of decisions, resolutions and orders; understanding the correct procedures for regulatory compliance when calculating additional wages, other incentives, bonuses, social and household assistance and medical benefits, establishing extra payments and allowances, etc.”