Thousands of workers at a cash-strapped council will be offered the chance to resign under a new scheme.

Stoke-on-Trent City Council has adopted a mutually agreed resignation scheme (MARS) in order to support 'workforce reduction, organisational change and service redesign'.

MARS will enable council workers to voluntarily leave their post in exchange for an agreed financial payment.

All permanent staff with at least one year of continuous service will be eligible to apply, with some exclusions.

But the scheme will be subject to 'management discretion' with no automatic right to approval.

Chief executive Jon Rouse approved the scheme following consultation with the council's three trade unions.

The chief executive's report states: "MARS will operate as a discretionary scheme and eligibility to apply will not create an entitlement to approval.

"Each application will be considered on its individual circumstances and against the needs and priorities of the service and the wider organisation."

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The policy outlines that workers in specialist or hard-to-fill roles may not be eligible to apply, although all applications will be considered on a case-by-case basis.

According to the report, alternative schemes will not deliver the same benefits. Recruitment freezes may deliver savings too slowly, while compulsory redundancy will have 'significant employee relations and wellbeing impacts', with greater risk of industrial action.

The council terminated the contracts of 19 employees in 2025/26, with their exit packages costing a total of £691,000. In the previous year, the council agreed 22 exit packages at a cost of £1.1 million.

As of September, the council was projecting a £10.8 million overspend in the current financial year, mostly due to pressures in children's and adults' social care.

The council has been approached for comment.