Staff Benefits

Why Join Us?

We feel that the staff benefits we offer make a significant addition to our overall employment package. As well as making excellent provisions for holiday and sick pay, flexible working, a diverse range of roles and learning opportunities place us at the forefront of the employers in the area and our local government pension scheme is recognised as one of the best in UK.

Standard Terms and Conditions

General Conditions of Service

The general terms and conditions of employment are in accordance with collective agreements negotiated from time to time by the National Joint Council for Local Government Services set out in the Scheme of Conditions of Service (commonly known as the Green Book).

Equal Opportunities

The council aims to ensure that no job applicant or employee is discriminated against on the grounds of sex, ethnic origin, nationality, sexual orientation, gender, marital status, political or religious beliefs or disability

Medical Fitness

The appointment is subject to fitness for employment within the council - it is a requirement for new employees to complete a medical questionnaire and it may be necessary to undergo a medical examination. An external Occupational Health provider is used for this service. In the event of a declared disability, the council will support reasonable adjustments for the successful candidate.

References

All appointments are subject to satisfactory references. One reference should be your current or last employer and the other may be a personal reference.

Payment of Salaries

Salaries are paid monthly through a bank or building society account on the 15th of the month.  If the 15th falls on a Friday, Saturday or Sunday, then the payment will be made on the Thursday preceding.  Some posts are weekly paid and wages are paid on Friday of every week.

Probationary Period

All new employees are expected to complete a six month probationary period. This is a two way process and enables each party to discuss how the new employee has settled in.  You will have a probationary review meeting once a month for the first six months. 

Hours

The normal working week for employees is 37 hours net of lunch breaks. Offices are open from 8.40 am to 5.00 pm and cover must be provided at lunchtimes. A flexitime scheme is in operation with core hours being 10 am to 11.45 am and 2.15 pm to 3.00 pm. Some posts are exempt from flexi-time for the purposes of service provision. A maximum of two flexi days per four week period are allowed, subject to the needs of the service

Leave

Annual leave entitlement runs from 1 April to 31 March and the basic entitlement is between 22 and 27 working days depending on length of service and salary position within the grade.

Council staff (with the exception of employees who represented by the GMB, UNITE and UCATT unions as below) are entitled to leave per annum as follows:

After 5 years continuous service:

Up to Salary Scale Point 21 22 days 27 days

Salary scale points 22 – 28 24 days 27 days

Salary scale points 29 – 40 26 days 27 days

Salary Scale points 41 – 49 27 days 27 days

Employees represented by GMB, UNITE and UCATT unions are entitled to 20 days leave and 25 days leave after completing five year’s service. These three groups qualify for two extra concessionary days, thereby bringing leave entitlement in line with the rest of the council staff.

Local Government Pension Scheme

The successful candidate will have the opportunity to contribute to the Local Government Pension Scheme. Contribution bandings from 1 April 2008 are as follows:

Salary Contribution Rate

£0 - £12,000 5.5%

£12,001 - £14,000 5.8%

£14,001 - £18,000 5.9%

£18,001 - £30,000 6.5%

£30,001 - £40,000 6.8%

£40,001 - £75,000 7.2%

More than £75,000 7.5%

An employee cannot enter the scheme if it is clear their employment is for less than three months or they are aged 75 or over. If you join the scheme and then decide to opt out, after three months service your pension contributions will be frozen.

For more information please go to www.lgps.org.uk

 Sickness Allowance

Employees are entitled to sick pay if absent from work through illness.  The allowance varies as follows:

Lenght of Service	Sickness allowance
1st year of service	One month full pay and (after four months service) two months half pay
2nd year of service	Two months full pay / two months half pay
3rd year of service	Four months full pay / four months half pay
4th & 5th year of service	Five months full pay / five months half pay
6th year of service	Six months full pay / six months half pay

 

The Council monitors sickness absence closely and trigger points on our Sickness Absence Policy are three occasions or eight days sickness in any rolling year. Anyone who triggers the Sickness Absence Policy is set a target and breaches of these targets are dealt with through our Disciplinary Policy. 

 Staff achieving full attendance are rewarded with half a day’s leave for every quarter year with no sickness (up to two days per annum). This incentive scheme is not a term and condition of employment and can be withdrawn at any time.

Training/Development

The authority actively encourages post entry training to enable employees to achieve the qualifications and skills required for successful performance and career development. The council operates an Employee Development Scheme (EDS) where performance is reviewed and training needs analysed every six months.

Child Care Vouchers

The Council has, in conjunction with Busy Bees, introduced an initiative under which part of an employee's salary may be given up in exchange for childcare vouchers.   Within specified limits, these vouchers are non-taxable and exempt from National Insurance contributions and represent a saving for employees who receive them as part of their total employment package. For more information contact Human Resources.

Job Evaluation

All posts are subject to the current job evaluation scheme.

Investors in People

The council is an IiP employer and communicates regularly with staff through the following media:

Cor Staff e-zine

Core Brief

Chief Executive and Leader Briefings

Team meetings

Head of Service open door policy

One to One meetings

Corporate Induction (is obligatory for all new employees)

Relocation Expenses

When a newly appointed officer has to move his or her home into the borough, the council will offer financial assistance with relocation expenses (conditions apply)

Canvassing

Any candidate who canvasses a member of the council either directly or indirectly will be disqualified

 Relatives of Members or Officers

Candidates are required to disclose any relationship to members or officers of the council.