What it considers to be its obligations under the Fair Work Convention with regards to staff employed directly by MSPs.

The SPCB is not the employer of MSPs’ staff. The SPCB’s responsibility is to fund the provisions of the Reimbursement of Members’ Expenses Scheme, including the Staff Cost Provision, which funds MSPs to employ their staff. MSPs, as the direct employers of their staff, are responsible for ensuring that they meet their legal obligations as employers and that staff are treated fairly, with dignity and respect.
Notwithstanding this, the SPCB has put in place a wide range of measures to support MSPs to adopt good employment practices, including a training and development programme which includes career management guidance and support; fair, consistent and competitive pay ranges and job families, underpinned by a commitment to ensure that MSPs are able to pay their staff at least at the rate of the Living Wage; support with recruitment and policies that aim to support a positive workplace culture. The SPCB also provides dedicated HR resources to support MSPs in their capacity as employers.
The SPCB understands that various parliamentary groups have entered into agreements with trade unions that represent their staff and that some MSPs are applying the principles of the Fair Work Framework. The SPCB, through the People and Culture Group, will continue to support MSPs to do so. In particular, the SPCB has committed to a strategic objective to support MSPs to attract, recruit and retain skilled, motivated and engaged staff who are recognised for their contributions and skills and who work in a positive workplace culture.