Retirement and career progression were the most common reasons for staff leaving East Ayrshire Council, but a report has also highlighted concerns about workplace conditions, morale and employees feeling undervalued.
The findings were discussed at a meeting of the council's Cabinet on Wednesday, October 21, as members considered the authority's approach to understanding why employees leave.
Exit Interview Findings
The report examined responses from staff who had departed the organisation over a 12-month period. Officers said 148 employees completed exit interviews from a total of 534 people who left the council during that time.
Retirement was the most frequently reported reason for leaving, accounting for 30 percent of responses, followed by career progression or promotion at 19 percent.
However, the findings also identified concerns about communication, morale, workload and employees feeling undervalued. Eighteen percent of employees who completed exit interviews cited their working environment among their reasons for leaving, while 16 percent expressed dissatisfaction with the organisation. A further 33 percent of respondents did not feel their workload was manageable, while 51 percent believed there were insufficient opportunities available to them.
Council Leader Responds
Responding to the report, council leader councillor Douglas Reid acknowledged the issues raised by employees. He said: “Some of this report really quite hard hitting.”
Councillor Reid added: “There are reasons for low morale right across, and that’s something that really we must address and make sure that our workforce are valued.”
He said local government authorities across Scotland were facing similar pressures, but stressed the importance of addressing the issues affecting East Ayrshire's workforce.
Next Steps and Workforce Survey
The discussion also examined whether employees had sufficient opportunities to progress within the organisation and how managers could respond to concerns raised during exit interviews.
Officers explained that the council was developing further work to understand staff attitudes and experiences. This includes a workforce survey intended to gather more detailed information from employees who remain with the authority, rather than relying solely on the views of those who have decided to leave.
The council's flexible working arrangements are also under review, while officers intend to examine the reasons given for departure in greater detail.
Members discussed the importance of ensuring that employees feel supported and have opportunities for professional development. The findings also prompted questions about younger members of the workforce, including apprentices and staff at the beginning of their careers. Councillors wanted to understand whether younger employees were leaving because of limited opportunities, working conditions or other factors. Officers acknowledged that further analysis would be required to establish clearer patterns.
The council also reported progress towards improving the information held about its workforce, with 72 percent of employees having updated their personal details.
Cabinet agreed to note the exit interview findings and the work being undertaken in response. An updated exit interview policy is expected to return to elected members for further consideration.
