Be a Councillor guide for employers and employees

This guide has been developed for people in employment who wish to stand for election (or are already councillors) and their employers. The guide sets out practical considerations for both employees and employers to ensure staff can be supported in this community role whilst ensuring business needs are met, and at the same time reaping the mutual benefits of contributing to civic life.

Councillors make a huge difference to the quality of life of local people and how local issues are dealt with as well as contributing to wider society. For example, representing the views of local people to ensure the community gets the right services, supporting individual residents in times of need, or helping to shape future improvements by driving new ideas with the community.  

The Local Government Association believes it is crucial that people from all backgrounds and experiences have the opportunity to take up the role of a councillor, reflecting the communities they serve, bringing understanding of local issues and broad life experiences, and contributing to a strong democratic system and good local decision-making. This includes the voices and skills of people of working age who come from a variety of different jobs types and industries. 

Being a councillor is highly fulfilling but can also be demanding. The role is often undertaken in addition to other responsibilities such as paid work, caring, education and other voluntary roles. It is therefore advisable for prospective candidates to discuss plans to stand for election with family and employers as their support is crucial to balancing the role.    

Being a councillor brings a multitude of benefits for those in employment and their employers, especially in bringing highly transferrable skills, practical work experience, knowledge and confidence back to the workplace. Along with the wider benefits of demonstrating corporate social responsibility, fostering a supportive culture with clear policy guidance and good working practices, and contributing to staff attraction, retention and motivation.

This guide provides they key information for people in work and their employers, however, you can read further detail in our Be a Councillor FAQs along with more about the motivations to becoming a councillor and what can be achieved for the local community in the role. 

A councillor is someone elected to represent their community at council level.

To become a councillor, you must be aged 18 or over, a British Citizen, eligible Commonwealth Citizen, or eligible European Union Citizen and must live or work in the council area. Prospective candidates must also check for any disqualifying factors such as bankruptcy or convictions. Full guidance on eligibility and disqualifications is available via our Be a Councillor FAQs on the Electoral Commission website. 

You can choose to stand as a member of a political party or to be an independent candidate (as an individual or as a group of independents). 

You don’t need any experience or special qualifications. A passion and commitment to people and communities along with life experience and transferrable skills gained through work or other volunteering are highly valuable. And, there is plenty of training available during induction and through continual professional development.

Councillor responsibilities vary depending on the type of council elected to. For example, county council responsibilities include social care, education, and roads; district council responsibilities include recycling, planning applications, and leisure facilities; while unitary or metropolitan councils cover all services. 

Councils run up to 800 services for the local community (depending on the type of council) formed of both statutory and non-statutory functions and much of the work is done in an agile way, with a focus on improvement, collaboration, and innovation.

The role of a councillor is to:

• serve and represent the local community (all constituents and not just those who voted for them)
• shape the future of the local area by creating visions, plans and taking decisions
• adhere to protocols and behaviour standards as stated in each council’s own constitution and code of conduct, as well as set out for public services more broadly in the Seven Principles of Public Life.
• and undertake political activities such as attending local political meetings (for example as a member of a political party or as an independent / network of).

Some of the achievements that councillors have told us they have been able to make include:   

• helping a resident with a housing safety issue 
• getting a crossing installed at a dangerous junction   
• creating greener spaces by setting up a community orchard    
• helping refugee families get settled in the local area  
• regenerating the local area and increasing job opportunities. 

The role is varied and day to day councillors could be expected to carry out tasks such as: 

Keeping in touch with constituents to represent views, keeping the community informed on local matters, and liaising between the community and the council.

Responding to queries or issues from constituents, called casework. This is picked up from speaking to residents in person, from social media, email, phone call, and letter. They are required to prioritise in order of urgency and importance, ensuring timely responses and work with council officers to do so. 

Creating and maintaining relationships, working in partnership for example  with voluntary and community organisations, police, health partners, and businesses.

Advocating for and representing the interests of all residents in their area.

Acting as a community leader, with the possibly of also taking on other positions such as committee member, cabinet portfolio holder, champion for specific causes. 

Enabling communities to do things for themselves in their local area, having new conversations about what is possible.  

Working with council officers on various services in line with council policies.

Attending formal council meetings and reading papers in advance.

Councillors may be called to attend to a local emergency such as flooding.

Councillors often hold community surgeries to meet residents, listen to their concerns, and work on solutions. 

The amount of time a councillor spends on council work is largely up to the individual and although the role requires commitment and can be demanding, it can often be carried out flexibly.

According to the LGA’s Councillor Census (2022), on average councillors spend 22 hours a week on council duties, which takes into account councillors who have an additional role such as a member of a committee or cabinet member which will take up more time. 

Broken down into more detail:

• 20% of councillors spend 10 hours or less on the role
• 37% spent 11-20 hours
• 24% spent 21-30 hours
• 12% spent 31-40 hours 
• and 7% spent more the 40 hours. 

Council elections run on different cycles depending on the council but every councillor is elected for a 4 year term. 

While much of the day-to-day work of a councillor takes place outside of formal meetings, councillors will be required to attend some formal council meetings. Each council decides how to run these - with some choosing to meet during the day and some in the evening. 

Formal council meetings are required by law to take place in person however, some other meetings may be possible remotely, and councils usually have a calendar of meeting dates available to view on their website.   

Some of the councillor role may need to be covered during personal time such as during evenings and weekends. Councillors will find their own balance and there may be more reliance on a partner, family or friends to help so it is important to discuss with them.

Whilst it requires commitment, councillors also report that it is highly fulfilling and recommend the role for the achievements that you can realise for the community. 

People bring their own transferrable skills from life experience, employment and other volunteering to the councillor role, and also acquire skills, knowledge and confidence which are highly transferrable back into the workplace.

These are gained through carrying out the community role, as well as through taking part in induction and continual professional development organised by councils and partner organisations (including the LGA and others).

There are a number of transferrable skills and knowledge useful to being effective as a councillor, and which can also be brought back into the workplace. 

Passion and commitment to the local community and wider society

Care for people, local communities and specific causes and issues. Knowledge of the local area and understanding of the needs and concerns of local people. Keenness to continually improve and seek opportunities.

Communication, listening and engagement skills: 

Interacting with the public and people at all levels in councils, community organisations, the wider public sector, and the private sector. Tailoring communication to different audiences, and with regard to equality and diversity. Using a variety of communication methods. Exercising diplomacy. Listening to views and issues, advocating and representing for constituents. Public speaking and delivering messages effectively. 

Partnership, collaboration and team working

Working across council officer teams, community organisations, public sector partners, businesses and national government as well as across different political groups to meet local community needs. Relationship building, developing new connections and networks. Facilitating constructive working between partners. Enabling communities to drive projects themselves. 

Leadership skills

Bringing people together. Creating networks within and across different communities. Listening to views and acting as a representative. Facilitating new conversations around possibilities. Managing teams and leading on projects. Navigating ambiguity. Vision setting, working long-term and horizon-scanning for the future.

Organisation, time-management, multi-tasking and prioritisation

Responding to casework and issues, being organised with good time management and prioritisation skills, multi-tasking, meeting deadlines and attending appointments, responding to any emergencies. 

Questioning, analytical skills, and decision-making

Scrutinising and reviewing information, asking pertinent questions, being involved in decision-making, problem solving.

Being flexible, adaptable and open-minded

Hearing residents’ views and ideas, considering various solutions to issues, willingness to learn with a focus on improvement and innovation, and reviewing research, policies or council meeting papers.

Political understanding 

Adhering to the council constitution, code of conduct and Seven Principles of Public Life. Gaining understanding of council processes, legislation and regulations, policy development. Working in or with a political group or independents. Understanding the differences between councillor and officer roles and maintaining good working relationships.

Further information on the relevant skills is available in our Be a Councillor FAQs and through the Local Leadership Framework on skills for local government which includes the Seven Principles of Public Life: Landing page and framework

Employers are required under the Employment Rights Act 1996 to provide “reasonable time off” for various public duties which includes local councillors.

As set out on the GOV.UK website, time off is in addition to holiday entitlement and payment for this time is at the employer’s discretion. “Reasonable time off” will depend on how much time is usually required to perform that particular task, the amount of time off already permitted, and the impact on the business. This is separate from any flexible or part-time working arrangements and the employer can refuse a request for time off if they think it’s unreasonable. 

Reasonable time off could for example cover attending council meetings, and other specific council duties. Most formal council meetings are organised in advance which enables councillors to give their employer enough notice.

The amount of time off should be agreed between the employee and employer and it is advisable to discuss a plan for balancing both roles practically.

Councillors are not paid a salary but do receive an allowance to help ensure they are not left out of pocket by covering costs such as travel to and from meetings and recognises the time devoted to council business on behalf of local people. 

There is a basic allowance that all councillors receive and certain positions such as cabinet member or chair of a committee may attract an additional special responsibility allowance which is paid on top of the basic allowance. Councils can also contribute to childcare costs whilst on council business. 

Allowances are taxable and can affect benefit entitlement so it is advisable to seek guidance for those in receipt of benefits. It is also noted by councillors that allowances do not always cover all costs incurred, for example if moving to work part-time or for additional childcare, and we therefore encourage prospective councillors to take time to factor finances into their planning. 

Councillor allowances are set by each council and reflect the size and responsibilities of different types of councils.

There is a wealth of support, training and continual professional development provided by councils, the LGA, political parties, independent networks and others as set out below, all of which aim to ensure councillors are confident in carrying out their role effectively as well as being highly transferrable back to employment.

Councils have a programme of induction and continual professional development, and often run their own local Be a Councillor event. You can find out more by contacting the council’s Democratic Services team. 

Be a Councillor events support for people considering becoming a councillor, where you can find out more about what the role is like and the practicalities of balancing with employment.

Political parties and the LGA Independent Group provide guidance, events and support to individuals in line with their political values.

The Local Government Association provides a wide range of support to councillors: New councillor hub, Training and development offer, Councillor workbooks, Affinity group development events for BAME councillors, LGBTQ+ councillors, young councillors, and support for disabled candidates and councillors.

Whether your organisation is small, medium or large, there are multiple benefits to employing and supporting a councillor:

Transferable skills and practical work experience

As outlined in the earlier skills section, there is a broad range of skills used in the councillor role which are highly transferrable back to the workplace: 

• passion and commitment to local communities and society
• communication, listening and engagement skills
• partnership, collaboration and team working
• leadership skills
• organisation, time-management, multi-tasking and prioritisation
• questioning, analytical skills, and decision-making 
• being flexible, adaptable and open-minded
• political understanding.

Transferrable knowledge

Councillors also gain specialist knowledge across different service areas, as well as generally on local and national government systems, as well as practical understanding of signposting people to various council services. For example in the areas of public health, housing, scrutiny or carbon neutralisation, financial resilience, planning or social care. Council work is incredibly varied as councils run up to 800 services, linking to most aspects of our lives and therefore most types of employment.  

Confidence building 

Gained through new experiences, skills development and achievements for the local area.

Corporate social responsibility and social value 

The councillor role is all about making a difference to local communities and wider societal issues. Much of the time is spent listening to and representing constituents’ concerns, and the role is highly fulfilling in what can be achieved for the local community. Supporting a councillor to undertake their duties can serve as a way of meeting corporate social responsibility objectives, along with other public duties such as magistrates or school governors.  

Recruitment and retention 

A supportive culture and working practices which allow employees to pursue other passions, commitment to corporate social responsibility, and acknowledgement of the benefits of transferable skills from outside of employment can contribute to attracting and retaining talent, and to staff motivation and morale. 

Both employees and employers can proactively take action and work together to ensure the opportunity to be a councillor and make a difference to the local community is possible, whilst also ensuring staff and organisations can thrive with both roles being carried out effectively.

A vital step to developing this guide was conducting focus group meetings with elected members in a wide range of job roles and sectors to learn from their experiences about the mutual benefits, effective support, barriers, and advice for employers and prospective councillors. 

The participants highlighted the transferable skills gained as a councillor and examples of support from employers which had been major enablers to them being able to undertake both roles effectively. 

We share 6 tips and discussion areas for employees and employers below.

Understand the councillor role and expectations 

Prospective councillors are encouraged to investigate thoroughly the role and practicalities, for example how frequently council and other meetings take place and the level of responsibility and workload involved, discussing workload and schedule in order to make an informed decision about standing for election.  

Engaging with the Be a Councillor campaign provides the opportunity to hear from councillors currently balancing the role with employment. Sign up to the Be a Councillor newsletter for more insights and upcoming events, check with your council about local Be a Councillor sessions, and contact the relevant LGA Political Group Office for programmes of activity aligned with political parties and for independents.

Councillors can also be contacted directly to get a feel for the day-to-day role, the amount of casework, levels of responsibility and expectations in different councillor roles and authority types. 

Employees are advised to proactively share information with their employer, and make time to discuss how they might be able to undertake the role ensuring prioritisation of paid work is sustained and working together to mitigate against any impacts on workload, business and other colleagues. 

This is especially important for overseas organisations where awareness of government structures in England may differ. And, it is also important to acknowledge that for some employees, career development may be more limited or slower due to time constraints affecting the ability to take on an expanded roles. 

Ensure open communication, realistic management, proactive forward planning

Open communication and good planning between the employee and employer is key and we advise employees discuss any plans to stand for election in advance. We also understand the challenges in planning ahead due to the uncertainty around whether a candidate may or may not be elected. Discussing the areas of focus below may help manage and forward plan:

• key dates and timelines for council work and employment 
• anticipating peak times for both roles
• managing competing demands, ensuring a disciplined approach and prioritisation of paid work
• consideration of any staffing and financial implications such as requiring backfill staff at times
• mitigating against any impacts on other colleagues
• practical considerations to ensure the councillor and employee roles remain distinct and consideration of any real or perceived conflicts of interest
• agreeing plans and processes, for example ensuring that requests for time off are given with as much advance notice as possible.
  
  

Create opportunities for varying working hours and time off for public duties

Openness to flexible, remote or reduced hours working: Councillors report that where employers had allowed them to work flexibly or remotely, this had greatly helped them in their role as councillor. Some employers had also supported councillors who wanted to reduce their professional working hours. The ability to work outside standard office hours, completing paid work in the evenings and joining a council meeting online during the workday (whilst logging the hours for both) was beneficial for example. Flexible and remote working also enables councillors to travel to any meetings which by law must be held in-person.

Additional time given to undertake public duties: As set out in the earlier section, employees are entitled by law to a reasonable amount of time off of work for public duties. Some employers, for example, provide a certain number of hours per year to use for specific council activities such as daytime meetings. While others have a policy supporting employees with a level of time off similar to that provided for jury service.

Consider different types of roles 

It can be difficult to exercise flexibility for front-line and shift-based roles in particular, such as in transport or the shop floor. We encourage employees and employers to consider the possibilities and discuss how to accommodate requests from a wide range of employees, from different backgrounds and job types. 

Most council meeting dates are usually set and communicated in advance and we encourage councillors to give employers as much notice as possible of upcoming commitments. It is also helpful to consider in workplace and rota planning discussions any processes which might be helpful in case of council meeting date changes, as well as general mitigation for impacts on business or other staff, and fostering understanding from other colleagues in similar roles. 

Acknowledge the mutual benefits 

Appreciation and acknowledgment by employers of the mutual benefits of staff undertaking public duties and contributing to civic life can be a crucial factor in helping employees to balance the roles. Fostering a culture of support, motivation and learning in organisations - where personal passions outside of paid employment are valued and support is underpinned by open conversations and realistic, practical working arrangements.  

As set out in more detail in our earlier section, mutual benefits include:

• a broad range of highly transferable skills and practical work experience
• specialist knowledge across different service areas and local and national government systems
• confidence-building gained through new experiences, skills development and achievements for the local area.
• demonstrating commitment to corporate social responsibility and social value.
• recruitment and retention benefits from commitment to a supportive culture e.g. attracting talent and sustaining motivation and morale.

Embed policies and processes

Agreeing ‘rules of engagement’ policies and processes for employers and employees can help to set out the expectations from both perspectives. 

While some employers will already have a policy for public service duties in place, some organisations may find it useful to create one or expand an existing item. Key elements may include the suggestions in items above, for example.: 

• Overview of councillor role and expectations. 
• Mechanisms for open communication, realistic management of both roles, and proactive forward planning.
• Policies around varying working hours and allowing time off for public duties.
• Consideration of different types of roles in policies and processes. 
• Acknowledging the mutual benefits. 
• And, promoting the culture and policies in recruitment. 

Practically, this may include some of the following mechanisms, however, employees and employers will be best placed to agree on ways of working which best suit the needs of individuals and the organisation:

• Putting in place policies and processes to request and consider flexible, remote or reduced hours working.
• Putting in place a policy for reasonable time off for public duties.
• Agreeing certain days and times to carry out distinct tasks and/or agreeing to work flexibly and log time spent on each role.
• Many councillors, for example, publicise their working patterns to constituents to help manage response time expectations e.g. online, on local posters, in automatic email replies. 
• Ensuring consideration in business and workload planning.
• Agreeing processes to monitor workloads and check in with employees on how they are managing. 
• Organising more frequent catch-ups or one-to-ones to ensure open communication and good planning. 
• Considering opportunities for sustained career development.

Thank you for reading this guide. 

We are keen to hear about your experiences as employers and employees and collect any good practice you have so that we can help support other councillors and organisations: please get in touch via [email protected] 

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