SOCIAL workers are to get free gym membership as part of a benefits package to entice them to stay working for Surrey.

The perk forms part of measures taken to address recruitment and retention issues with staff at Surrey County Council.

It is hoped that by offering rewards and benefits staff will want to work directly for the county council and stay longer.

Papers recommending the benefits scheme were presented to council leader David Hodge and Surrey chief executive Joanna Killian at a People, Performance and Development Committee in April.

Councillors had asked officers to look into how flexible working could be built into the council.

A report submitted to the committee said: “The new benefits package will continue to offer lifestyle discounts for staff.”

Free gym membership was mentioned as one of the perks.

Out of 11,834 members of staff 8,831 are permanent staff members and 428 are on fixed-term contracts.

A further 2,238 are bank staff and the council employs an average 292 agency or locum staff in a 12-month period.  

Surrey County Council currently has 13 consultants in place and 19 locums paid directly by the council.

Mel Few, cabinet member for adults at Surrey County Council, stressed that the turnaround in staff often leads to customer complaints so the council needed to look more at how it encouraged people to become permanent members of staff.

He said: “If we can get more people interested then by looking after the people we look after we get the consistency of practice.”

Other suggestions for flexible working within Surrey County Council included term-time only conditions of contract and job-shares.

The rewards and benefits package scheme, which also includes perks from childcare vouchers to cinema tickets and weekends away, is still being reviewed before it is rolled out.