EMPLOYEE HANDBOOK

For Local Government Employees

Version 5.2 – June 2014

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Table of Contents

SECTION 1: INTRODUCTION TO WEST DUNBARTONSHIRE AND THE COUNCIL .... 5

The Council ..................................................................................................................... 5

Our Vision ........................................................................................................................ 5

Our Mission ..................................................................................................................... 5

Our Values ....................................................................................................................... 5

Our Priorities ................................................................................................................... 5

Assuring Our Success Through .................................................................................... 5

The Corporate Management Team ................................................................................. 5

SECTION 2: PRINCIPAL TERMS AND CONDITIONS .................................................... 6

Terms and Conditions of Employment .......................................................................... 6

Future Changes ............................................................................................................... 6

Policies, Procedures and Schemes ............................................................................... 6

SECTION 3: WORKING HOURS AND SALARY PAYMENTS ......................................... 7

Working Week ................................................................................................................. 7

Changes to Working Hours ............................................................................................ 7

Working Time Regulations ............................................................................................. 7

Flexible Working Hours Scheme (Flexi) ........................................................................ 7

Meal Breaks ..................................................................................................................... 7

Pay and Grading ............................................................................................................. 8

Job Evaluation ................................................................................................................ 8

Pay Frequency ................................................................................................................ 8

Salary Placement on Appointment, Promotion or Regrading ...................................... 8

Incremental Progression ................................................................................................ 9

Allowances ...................................................................................................................... 9

Alternating/Rotating Shift Allowance ............................................................................ 9

Occasional Night Shift Allowance ................................................................................10

Overtime Working ..........................................................................................................10

Sleep-In Duty Payment ..................................................................................................10

Irregular Hours/Unsocial Hours ....................................................................................11

Standby and Call-out Payments ....................................................................................11

Standby Payments .................................................................................................11

Call Out Payment ....................................................................................................11

Recalling Employees to work (not on standby) ...................................................11

Responsibility Allowance ..............................................................................................11

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First Aid Allowance ........................................................................................................12

Workplace .......................................................................................................................12

Transferring to a Different Workplace ..........................................................................12

Travel & Subsistence .....................................................................................................12

SECTION 4 - HOLIDAY ENTITLEMENT AND LEAVE ....................................................13

Holiday Entitlement........................................................................................................13

Rewarding Other Local Authority Service ....................................................................13

Public Holidays ..............................................................................................................13

Work on a Public Holiday ..............................................................................................14

Special Leave .................................................................................................................14

Bereavement ...........................................................................................................14

Medical Treatment ..................................................................................................14

Jury and Witness Service ......................................................................................14

Public Duties ..........................................................................................................14

Family and Domestic Emergencies.......................................................................14

Reservists ...............................................................................................................14

SECTION 5 - FAMILY FRIENDLY POLICIES..................................................................15

Maternity and Adoption Leave and Pay ........................................................................15

Paternity Leave ..............................................................................................................15

Maternity/Adoption Support Leave ...............................................................................16

Parental Leave ................................................................................................................16

Right to Request Flexible Working for Parents and Carers ........................................17

Job Sharing Scheme ......................................................................................................17

Further Information ........................................................................................................17

SECTION 6 - HEALTH AND WELLBEING ......................................................................18

Health and Safety ...........................................................................................................18

Accidents at Work ..........................................................................................................18

Protective Clothing ........................................................................................................18

Health Surveillance ........................................................................................................18

First Aid ..........................................................................................................................19

Smoking at Work ............................................................................................................19

Driving at Work ..............................................................................................................19

Safety Representatives ..................................................................................................19

Wellbeing ........................................................................................................................19

SECTION 7 - POLICIES AND PROCEDURES AFFECTING HOW WE WORK ..............20

Absence Procedure .......................................................................................................20

Sickness Allowance .......................................................................................................21

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Matters of Conduct or Concern.....................................................................................22

Discipline ........................................................................................................................22

Informal Action ........................................................................................22

Formal Action ..........................................................................................23

Raising a Grievance .......................................................................................................23

Informal Action ........................................................................................23

Formal Action - Stage 1 ..........................................................................23

Formal Action - Stage 2 ..........................................................................23

Formal Action - Stage 3 ..........................................................................23

Dignity at Work ...............................................................................................................24

Support for Employees Experiencing Domestic Violence ..........................................24

Alcohol/Substance Misuse ............................................................................................24

Safer Recruitment ..........................................................................................................25

Organisational Change Policy ......................................................................................25

Restructuring and Redeployment Protocol..................................................................26

Notice Periods ................................................................................................................26

SECTION 8 - BENEFITS AND FACILITIES FOR COUNCIL EMPLOYEES ....................28

Local Government Pension Scheme ............................................................................28

Retirement ......................................................................................................................29

Group Life Assurance ....................................................................................................29

Savings and Investments ..............................................................................................29

Specsavers Premium Club Vouchers ...........................................................................29

Cycle to Work Scheme ..................................................................................................30

Long Service Awards .....................................................................................................30

SECTION 9 - MISCELLANEOUS ...................................................................................30

Employee Development .................................................................................................30

Employee Communication ............................................................................................30

Trades Union/Partnership Working ..............................................................................31

Equal Opportunities .......................................................................................................31

Personal Information .....................................................................................................31

ICT Acceptable Use & Security .....................................................................................31

Social Media Policy ........................................................................................................32

Appendix 1: Pay and Grading Structure 1 April 2014 ..................................................33

Appendix 2: National Agreed Rates for Specific Allowances/Payments ...................34

First Aid Allowance ........................................................................................................35

Term Time Calculator ....................................................................................................36

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SECTION 1: INTRODUCTION TO WEST DUNBARTONSHIRE AND THE COUNCIL

The Council

West Dunbartonshire Council works hard to be a modern, flexible employer. We demonstrate continuous improvement across all Services and are recognised as an employer of choice. Our employment terms and conditions, employment policies, procedures and practices are designed to promote equality and to eliminate discrimination. Our terms and conditions package supports excellence in service delivery and includes progressive measures to assist employees maintain a healthy work life balance. This Employee Handbook has been developed to provide local government employees with a summary of our main terms and conditions of employment, important employment policies, procedures and employee benefits.

Our Vision

Is for a prosperous West Dunbartonshire recognised as a dynamic area within a successful Scotland.

Our Mission

Is to lead and deliver high quality services which are responsive to the needs of local citizens, and realise the aspirations of our communities.

Our Values

• Ambition • Confidence • Honesty • Innovation • Efficiency • Vibrancy • Excellence

Our Priorities

• Improve economic growth and employability. • Improve life chances for children and young people. • Improve care for and promote independence with older people. • Improve local housing and environmentally sustainable infrastructure. • Improve the wellbeing of communities and protect the welfare of vulnerable people.

Assuring Our Success Through

• Strong financial governance and sustainable budget management. • Fit-for-purpose estate and facilities. • Innovative use of Information Technology. • Committed and dynamic workforce. • Constructive partnership working and joined-up service delivery. • Positive dialogue with local citizens and communities.

The Corporate Management Team

West Dunbartonshire Council is led by a Corporate Management Team who are committed to delivering results and meeting service, employee and customer needs.

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SECTION 2: PRINCIPAL TERMS AND CONDITIONS Terms and Conditions of Employment

In association with other Local Authorities, the Council is represented on the Scottish Joint Council dealing with Local Authorities’ Services. Your Principal Statement of Terms and Conditions of Employment (“Contract of Employment”) provides details of your grade and salary and also details the terms and conditions of employment applicable to your post. Full terms and conditions of employment can be found in the West Dunbartonshire Council Manual of Terms and Conditions of Employment for Local Government Employees and in Part 1 and Part 2 (as amended) of the “Red Book”, i.e. the Scottish Joint Council for Local Government Employees National Agreement on Pay and Conditions of Service. The West Dunbartonshire Council Manual of Terms and Conditions of Employment for Local Government Employees is available on the intranet or can be made available by your manager or HR Connect.

Future Changes

If any changes to terms and conditions arise in the future through local or national agreements or arrangements, then these will be automatically incorporated into your terms and conditions. You will be notified of any such changes through the Staff Bulletin, administrative messages, payslip messages and through your manager.

Policies, Procedures and Schemes

Where reference is made within this Employee Handbook to a specific Policy, Procedure or Scheme you can obtain the full document from the HR&OD Knowledge Portal, your line manager or HR Connect.

General

Information within the Employee Handbook details the terms and conditions of employment for full-time employees. If your job is part-time a number of conditions, for example annual leave, public holidays, and salary will be pro-rated to hours worked. Further details relevant to you will be contained within your Contract of Employment.

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SECTION 3: WORKING HOURS AND SALARY PAYMENTS This section provides information on our normal working hours, normal salary payments and additional salary payments.

Working Week

The Council operates a normal working week of 7.00 a.m. to 9.00 p.m. Monday to Sunday. Your working hours will be within these hours unless specifically provided otherwise and your Contract of Employment will detail your normal working hours and pattern.

Changes to Working Hours

Your hours of work are contractual and are outlined in your Contract of Employment. It is recognised that to meet operational service requirements we need to operate various working patterns. Any changes to working arrangements (rosters or working patterns) would only change, in accordance with current consultative arrangements. Changes to working hours or patterns would be proposed by your manager and would only be introduced once consultative procedures have been concluded.

Working Time Regulations

The Working Time Regulations 1998 (Amendment 2003) provide you with basic rights and protection in terms of your working hours. We fully comply with the regulations and would not expect you to work longer than the 48 hour week time limit (an average of 48 hours per week over a 17 week period), unless you have signed a declaration confirming that you have chosen to opt out of the weekly limit. If you have more than one job (including any work outside the Council), and the combined hours are likely to be more than 48 hours, you must agree this with your manager and sign an opt out declaration. Any legislative changes to the Working Time Regulations will be implemented within the Council.

Flexible Working Hours Scheme (Flexi)

A flexi-hour scheme operates in a number of our service areas. Your Line manager will be able to advise you if the scheme operates within your particular area. The scheme allows employees to balance their working and personal lives. Your manager can work with you to agree working times that will suit both the needs of the service and yourself. For full details a copy of the Flexible Working Hours Scheme is available on the HR Knowledge Portal.

Meal Breaks

If you are required to work more than 6 hours continuously you have an entitlement to an unpaid meal break of 30 minutes.

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Pay and Grading

The Council’s current Pay and Grading Structure is attached at Appendix 1. These Pay Scales will be updated and published when any national settlement is agreed, or adopted by the Council. Appendix 2 also provides details of the term time calculator used to calculate the salary for a term time employee. For staff employed in Term Time appointments, to avoid periods of no pay during non operational periods your pay will be averaged over 52 weeks. Your grade and salary placing is detailed in your contract of employment. The annual salary shown is based on the full-time equivalent for the post. Where hours worked are part-time (ie less than the full time equivalent) your salary will be pro-rata based on actual hours worked per week. The Living Wage Allowance is implemented within West Dunbartonshire Council, SCP hourly rates will be increased to meet The Scottish Living Wage Campaign (SLWC) where applicable.

Job Evaluation

As part of the Council’s commitment to ensuring pay equality all posts in the authority covered by the Single Status agreement will be evaluated using the Scottish Council’s Job Evaluation Scheme. This scheme has been endorsed by both sides of the Scottish Joint Council for Local Government Employees and:

Complies with the Equal Pay Act

Is free from sex bias

Follows the ACAS Code of Practice on job evaluation

Adopts accepted best practice

Is based on recognised statistical techniques The Job Overview document provides an outline of the job and is designed to support the job evaluation process and is quite different in style and content from job descriptions, job profiles and job outlines used within the Council for recruitment purposes. All posts are evaluated using the Convention of Scottish Local Authorities (COSLA) Gauge software by trained Job Analysts who will consider a full range of post information prior to agreeing a grade for a post. All post grades are in line with the agreed Pay and Grading Structure for the Council.

Pay Frequency

Your salary will be paid by BACS transfer direct into your Bank or Building Society on the pay frequency detailed in your Contract of Employment. The Council may review pay frequency following appropriate consultations with Trade Unions.

Salary Placement on Appointment, Promotion or Regrading

Salary placement is normally to the minimum point of the salary scale. In exceptional circumstances, placing above the minimum point of the salary scale may

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be considered to take account of an individual’s employment history, skills, competencies and experience.

Incremental Progression

Subject to satisfactory performance salary progression through the Grade is by one incremental point each 1 April until the maximum point in the Grade is reached. The first incremental increase following appointment, promotion or regrading is awarded as from 1 April each year, except in the case where the appointment, promotion or regrading is made between 1 October and 31 March in any year. In these circumstances you would be entitled to an increment after 6 months service in the post (i.e. entered service 15 October, increment payable from 15 April, the following year). An increment may be withheld if an employee’s performance is unsatisfactory and does not meet standards. In this event the employee will always have the right to submit an appeal to the Head of Human Resources and Organisational Development. If an increment is withheld because of unsatisfactory performance, and performance subsequently becomes satisfactory the increment may thereupon be reinstated. The increments of any employee may be accelerated within the appropriate salary scale on the grounds of special merit or ability.

Allowances

Allowances are payable only when the working arrangement is part of the normal working week and is a requirement of the service. Please note only one allowance is payable and this will be whichever is the most beneficial allowance on a cash basis.

Alternating/Rotating Shift Allowance

To meet operational service requirements some individuals and teams work different working patterns and in these cases a shift premium of 10% will be paid to all pre-determined roster patterns which are designed to meet operational service requirements:

A shift worker works on rotating shifts in immediate succession, covering a period of 24 hours.

Or

Alternating shifts which from the beginning of the first shift to the end of the second shift, covers an operational period of more than 11 hours i.e. a group of workers may be required to cover an operational period covering more than 11 hours e.g. Worker “A” works from 7.00 a.m. to 2.00 p.m. (7 hours) Worker “B” covers 2.00 p.m. to 9.00 p.m. (7 hours) which results in a total operational period of 14 hours.

Note:

Alternating shift allowances will be paid where the number of “office based hours” shifts do not exceed one half (1 in 2) of the total number of shifts in the rota.

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Day Workers required to work occasional weekend working or to work outside normal office hours (Monday to Friday) will not be entitled to claim shift allowance payments.

Occasional Night Shift Allowance

Night shift is recognised as working shifts which are part of your normal working pattern between 10.00 p.m. and 8.00 a.m. If you are required to work night shift you will receive a night shift allowance at 1 ⅓ for each hour worked during the night shift period, when the majority of rostered hours are worked within this period. This allowance is not payable to employees in receipt of irregular hours or alternating/rotating shift allowance.

Overtime Working

Managers will in all instances seek to keep overtime working to a minimum; however it is recognised that from time to time to meet operational service requirements overtime working will be necessary. We will do our best to give you reasonable notice of this, but occasionally we may have to deal with unforeseen peaks of work or other operational problems. You don’t have to work extra hours, unless it is a condition of your contract, but if you do we will give you either time off in lieu or pay you for the extra hours worked. Where we do pay, you will receive:

Plain time for hours worked up to 37 in any week

Time and a half for hours worked over 37 and up to and including 48 hours in any week

Double time for hours worked over 48 in any week

Overtime rate at double time will be paid for hours worked on a public holiday Overtime rates only apply to posts on Grades 1-7 and all overtime must be authorised by the appropriate departmental manager. Overtime is not normally payable to employees on Grade 8 or above except in exceptional circumstances or in circumstances where service delivery would be inhibited.

Sleep-In Duty Payment

This payment is appropriate in establishments which require a staff presence but not necessarily requiring a waking presence during night duty i.e. residential homes.

In this instance staff will be available for duty, when called during night hours (outside the standard operating hours - 7.00 a.m. - 9.00 p.m.). The payment will be made to cover the sleeping-in requirement and up to 30 minutes sleep disturbance. If the sleep disturbance period exceeds 30 minutes during the shift then any period (minus 30 minutes) will be paid at the appropriate overtime rate for that week.

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Irregular Hours/Unsocial Hours

An out of hours allowance of 10% will be paid to you if you work an average of 8 hours outside the period 1½ hours before and/or 1½ hours after the normal working hours (i.e. outwith core working hours of 7.00 a.m. – 9.00 p.m. Monday – Sunday). This allowance is not payable to employees in receipt of nightworking or alternating/rotating shift allowance.

Standby and Call-out Payments

If you are on standby as a requirement of your contract of employment you must be ready, contactable and be available for immediate call out for duty, if and when required at any time outwith normal working hours.

Standby Payments If you are on standby you will be required to return to work if needed during the standby period. Your contract will detail whether standby is a contractual element of your post. Standard payments for each period on standby are set at national level. Appendix 2 shows the current rate of payment.

Call Out Payment If you are on stand-by duty and you are called out to work you will be paid a call out payment. In addition overtime will be paid in accordance with our new overtime rates, as outlined in the overtime working section. Appendix 2 shows the current rate of payment.

Recalling Employees to work (not on standby) If you are not on standby, and are called out to meet an emergency requirement, and agree to return to work you will receive payment for this at the agreed national level. Appendix 2 shows the current rate of payment.

Responsibility Allowance

It is recognised that in delivering excellent services there may be a requirement for an employee to undertake a more senior role on a temporary basis (for example to cover long term absence) in this event you will be eligible for a responsibility allowance. This allowance is not usually paid to cover short term absence such as annual leave, unless there are service delivery requirements. In all cases the temporary nature of the additional role will be discussed with you and outcomes agreed. You would only be asked to undertake a more responsible role if you have the required competencies/skills to undertake the role. If you are asked to temporarily act up to the duties of a higher graded post you will receive the grade for the higher post, if the full duties (or as comprehensive a range as could be reasonably expected) are undertaken. If the full duties are not undertaken an allowance based on a % of duties undertaken will be paid. The responsibility allowance will normally be paid from the first working day of undertaking the higher duties and will be paid one month in arrears.

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Payment of the allowance will be calculated on the bottom of the scale of the higher level post and would be paid as a daily allowance for the number of working days the role is undertaken.

First Aid Allowance

If you are designated by the Council to provide first aid as an extra responsibility you will be paid the nationally agreed allowance. You will require to hold and maintain a valid First Aid Certificate and provide evidence of this to your line manager. The current payment is detailed in Appendix 2.

Workplace

Your normal work location is detailed in your contract of employment. However, you may be required to work in another location within the Council subject to any request to do so being reasonable and following consultation with you. There are no terms and conditions relating to working outside the UK, as you will not be required to work outside the UK.

Transferring to a Different Workplace

If, through service requirements, we change your normal place of work and you have to pay more for travel as a result, we will pay any additional travel costs you incur at public transport rate for a 4 year period. If your normal place of work is changed during the 4 year period or you move nearer to your location, the travel allowance will be recalculated. If you accept a promoted post in the new location, the travel allowance will cease. Check the Travelling Expenses Scheme for more details.

Travel & Subsistence

We don’t cover the cost of travel to and from your normal place of work. If, however you are required to use your own car on council business we will pay you the approved HMRC (Her Majesty’s Revenue and Customs) mileage rates. Your vehicle must be taxed and insured for business purposes and you must hold a valid driving licence. Arrangements are made through your department for annual checks to be made on these documents, to ensure that the Council meets its duty of care. Your Head of Service can approve travel expenses for journeys outwith West Dunbartonshire and expenses will normally be based on the cost of the most economic method of travel. For longer journeys and/or overnight stays we will discuss the arrangements with you before you leave. Any hotel bills and incidental expenses you have to pay whilst out on business need to be supported by a receipt before we can consider reimbursing you. Check the Travel & Subsistence Scheme for further details.

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SECTION 4 - HOLIDAY ENTITLEMENT AND LEAVE We give all our employees a generous holiday entitlement, which exceeds the statutory entitlement.

Holiday Entitlement

All local government employees receive a minimum of 24 days holiday entitlement, rising to a maximum of 34 days after 10 years continuous local authority service (or recognised service within the Redundancy Modification Order). This applies to 5 day working patterns, for alternative working patterns equivalent leave entitlements will be calculated.

The annual leave year begins on 1 April and ends on 31 March and any carry-over leave should be used by 30 April of the new annual leave year. If you join the council or leave the Council part way through the year, your entitlement will be proportionate to your completed service during the leave year.

Deductions from or payments to final salary due on termination of employment will be made in respect of any leave taken in excess of the entitlement or in lieu of accrued leave.

Annual leave for term time employees is in accordance with the arrangements in the establishment and based on the term time calculator.

Rewarding Other Local Authority Service

If you join us directly from another local authority, or a body on the Redundancy Modification Order, you will be pleased to know that your service with your previous authority/body may be recognised for the purposes of enhancing certain of your service entitlements such as annual leave, maternity pay, sickness allowance, and redundancy pay.

Public Holidays

In addition to annual leave there are currently 8 fixed public holidays throughout the year, shown below. If you work part-time your public holidays will be pro-rata.

New Year’s Day (or next working day)

2 January (or next working day)

Good Friday

Easter Monday

May Day (first Monday in May)

September Monday (last Monday in September)

Christmas Day (or next working day)

Boxing Day (or next working day) Employees in term time establishments will have public holidays set in accordance with the arrangements in that establishment. Further guidance on annual and public holiday entitlements can be found in the Annual Leave Scheme.

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Work on a Public Holiday

If you are required to work on a public holiday as part of your normal working week you will be paid at double time and time in lieu for the time worked.

Special Leave

We will consider requests for leave, other than holidays, which come up from time to time. This may include granting paid or unpaid special leave or asking you to take annual or flexi leave to cover the time. The list below shows the sort of things we will consider, the Special Leave Scheme is available on the intranet.

Bereavement In the case of a near relative we would give you reasonable paid time off as necessary to deal with funeral arrangements, etc (maximum 5 days). In other cases reasonable time to attend the funeral.

Medical Treatment We will give you paid time off to attend hospital appointments. For routine appointments for medical treatment we would expect you to arrange this outwith working hours or by using flexi-time.

Jury and Witness Service If you are called to perform jury duty or attend court as a witness we would expect you to claim loss of earnings allowance from the court. We will pay you the difference to make your pay up to its normal level.

Public Duties If you are elected to public office we will provide unpaid leave for you to attend meetings as a member of a Community Council or Health Council. If you are elected to work as a Justice of the Peace or are a member of Children’s Panel we would give you up to 10 days paid leave to attend.

Family and Domestic Emergencies We would cover the time it takes for you to make alternative arrangements to deal with the emergency up to a specified limit.

Reservists An employee who is a member of reserve forces and attends an annual training camp for a period of one week or more will be granted up to 15 days special leave with pay. This will be subject to the deduction of service pay and allowances received in respect of the period of special leave.

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SECTION 5 - FAMILY FRIENDLY POLICIES We believe that individuals should be able to work and enjoy a quality family life, and that the ability to balance life inside and outside of work is key to attracting and retaining the best employees. It is for this reason we are committed to providing a range of family friendly benefits, which in most cases exceed the statutory requirements.

Maternity and Adoption Leave and Pay

We offer excellent maternity and adoption benefits for all employees. The leave and pay entitlements you may be entitled to depend on length of service and earnings. The entitlements include:

Up to 52 weeks maternity/adoption leave An additional 12 weeks at half pay on top of statutory entitlements for employees

on maternity or adoption leave (for employees with 26 weeks service at the qualifying period)

Paid time off to attend ante-natal/pre-adoption meetings Up to 10 Keep in Touch Days (KIT) days

Our HR Teams are happy to have an individual meeting with you if you are expecting a baby, or adopting a child to ensure you fully understand your employment rights and entitlements and get all the support needed during what can be a happy, but anxious time.

Paternity Leave

Ordinary Paternity leave and pay is a statutory entitlement available to employees to enable them to provide support to an expectant/new mother or some-one adopting a child. Paternity leave and pay is available to the father of the child, or the mother’s husband or partner who meet the following qualifying conditions:

Have or expect to have responsibility for the child’s upbringing

Have completed at least 26 weeks continuous service by the 15th week before the baby is due

2 weeks leave is granted, irrespective of the number of children born as the result of a single pregnancy. The leave must be taken within 56 days of the child’s birth and must be taken in 2 consecutive full weeks and not in odd days.

Additional Paternity leave and pay is a statutory entitlement available to parents to give greater flexibility in how they use maternity and paternity provisions. Under the new regulations, fathers or spouses/partners of the mother or primary adopter, if eligible, can take a further 26 weeks additional paternity leave and pay.

Additional Paternity leave and pay is available to the father of the child, or the mother’s husband or partner who meet the following qualifying conditions:

Have or expect to have responsibility for the child’s upbringing

Have completed at least 26 weeks continuous service by the 15th week before the baby is due

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Requested Additional Paternity Leave 8 weeks before the leave is due to start.

To be eligible for additional paternity pay the mother/primary adopter must have been entitled to Statutory Maternity Pay, Statutory Adoption Pay or Maternity Allowance has returned to work and has ceased to be in receipt of the aforementioned and received less than the full 39 weeks entitlement.

Eligible employees can take a minimum of 2 consecutive weeks to a maximum of 26 weeks leave and must take additional paternity leave after the mother’s first 26 weeks of Maternity leave when the child is over 20 weeks or has been with its adoptive parents for over 20 weeks. For further information on payment for this type of leave please refer to the Employee Guidance Note on Paternity Leave and Pay and Maternity Support Leave

Maternity/Adoption Support Leave

Maternity Support Leave is provided to enable support to an expectant/new mother at or around the time of childbirth in circumstances where the expectant/new mother has no other support available to her. This person is nominated by the expectant mother (normally a close relative) who will assume the main supporting role at the time of the birth.

The nominated carer must have 26 weeks service at the expected week of childbirth.

Maternity Support Leave is not available to support expectant mothers who have a partner unless the partner is unable to be with the expectant mother through circumstances which are exceptional e.g. the father or partner is in prison, the father or partner is serving abroad in armed forces. It would not be granted where the father or partner opts to take statutory paternity leave at a later date.

Up to 2 weeks leave can be granted. The leave must be taken at or around the time of birth to support the mother. The leave must be taken in full weeks and not odd days. For further information on payment for this type of leave please refer to the Employee Guidance Note on Paternity Leave and Pay and Maternity Support Leave.

Parental Leave

If you are a parent of a child age under 14 years (up to 18 years if your child has a disability), and you have completed at least one year continuous service with us you will be eligible for parental leave.

Employees are entitled to 18 weeks parental leave for each child under age 14 years. Parents of children who are disabled are entitled to 18 weeks parental leave up until the child’s 18th birthday.

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Right to Request Flexible Working for Parents and Carers

You have the right to request flexible working if you meet the criteria within our Scheme. Under our scheme you can request a change to your working arrangements and we will fully consider your request. If we are unable to support your request we will provide you with written reasons for this and give you an opportunity to appeal our decision.

Job Sharing Scheme

Job sharing allows you to share the duties and responsibilities of a full time job with another person. We consider that most of our jobs are suitable for job sharing and will consider any request where you have followed the process as outlined in the Job Sharing Scheme.

Further Information

Further information on the above documents is contained within our Family Leave Policy, supporting procedures and schemes which are available on the intranet.

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SECTION 6 - HEALTH AND WELLBEING We value all our employees and are fully committed to ensuring a healthy and safe working environment and supporting employee wellbeing.

Health and Safety

As an organisation we have a statutory and common law duty to ensure that your health, safety and welfare are not put at risk as a result of our work activities. This includes the provision of a safe working environment. We ensure that management systems are implemented for this purpose, including clear lines of responsibility as outlined in our Health and Safety Policy. Risk assessments are carried out by management in conjunction with the workforce to identify significant risks and to develop, where appropriate safe systems of work, along with adequate training. In addition, individual departments develop health and safety documentation that set out localised arrangements to ensure continued compliance with corporate policies. We also expect you to take reasonable care of your own health, safety and welfare and that of other persons who may be affected by your work activity. We also expect you to co-operate fully with any measures implemented by the organisation to ensure your wellbeing and not to intentionally, or recklessly interfere with, or misuse anything provided for this purpose. All departments are required to develop local health and safety policies and arrangements which shall be maintained and reviewed. These are available to you within your department.

Accidents at Work

Whilst our aim is to provide a safe and secure workplace, we recognise that accidents can and do happen. It is important to us, that you promptly report any accident or violent incident you may be involved in to your line manager. Local arrangements will be in place for this purpose and your line manager will advise you of the procedure.

Protective Clothing

Every effort will be made in the first instance to remove the hazard at source, thus removing the need for protective clothing. However, where such equipment is required we shall supply you with suitable protective clothing/footwear or other equipment for the identified risk. In the event that such equipment or clothing is made available then it must be worn and treated appropriately.

Health Surveillance

Taking good care of our workforce depends on having access to others with specialist knowledge. You will have access to occupational health services where necessary.

Health surveillance is a programme of systematic health checks to identify early signs and symptoms of disease, and to allow action to be taken to prevent its progression. There are certain statutory requirements that require employers to implement such management systems.

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In the event that your work activity causes an identifiable disease you will be required to participate in any such health surveillance programme organised by the Council.

First Aid

We have a list of designated First Aid persons within the workplace. Up-to-date details of current First Aiders are displayed on notice boards throughout the workplace.

Smoking at Work

The purpose of our No Smoking in the Workplace Policy is to protect individuals from the effects of tobacco smoke. It is not designed to make people stop smoking. However, the Council is aware that some employees may need to change their smoking habits to comply with the policy, whilst others may decide to stop. Smoking cessation support is offered to employees and further information is contained within the Policy.

Driving at Work

As an employer we recognise that driving at work is an essential and integral part of our undertakings. As part of our arrangements it may be necessary for you to attend a driving assessment (even although you hold a current driving license) if you are required to drive a council vehicle. As a driver we require you to comply with the Highway Code at all times. This includes wearing seatbelts and not using mobile phones whilst driving. It is also a requirement to report any defects or concerns to your Line manager.

Safety Representatives

As a Council, we recognise that Safety Representatives, have an important role to play in assisting the organisation in identifying potential hazards, participating in health and safety committees, risk assessment working groups and developing safe working practices. In the case of Safety Representatives we also encourage them to undertake 3 monthly inspections of the workplace accompanied by management. It is also hoped that such practices will encourage the development of a health and safety culture that will inevitably benefit both the organisation and employees.

Wellbeing

Your health is very important to us and we have our own in-house Occupational Health Service to provide support to employees and managers. We recognise that at some time employees may need additional support and we can offer confidential support from the Employee Counselling Service. This is a free confidential resource based in Glasgow and is independent from the Council. You can be referred to the service through your line manager or you can contact them directly on 0800 435 768. Whatever the problem be it financial, family or personal issues, help is only a phone call away. Human Resources will be happy to provide further information and can be contacted on 01389 737373 or at hrconnect@west-dunbarton.gov.uk.

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SECTION 7 - POLICIES AND PROCEDURES AFFECTING HOW WE WORK We have provided a summary of a number of key policies and procedures which you should be aware of. Copies of all Council Policies can be obtained from the HR Knowledge Portal, your manager or HR Connect.

Absence Procedure

We hope you keep good health whilst you work for us and we will do all we can to help you in this. If you fall ill and are unable to attend work you should let us know straight away. Corporate Services/Chief Executive Department Staff employed in the above departments should contact HR Connect on 01389 737373 to report sickness absence as soon as possible before you are due to start work. You need to notify HR Connect on the 1st, 4th, 8th and every subsequent 7th day of absence (unless covered for a longer period by a Doctor’s Certificate). If you do not follow this procedure we will consider your absence to be unauthorised, which means that you will not be able to access sick allowance. CHCP/Housing, Environmental & Economic Services/Education Staff employed in the above departments should make personal contact with your line manager as soon as possible before you are due to start work - or in extreme cases no later than one hour after you are due to start. If your line manager is not available you have to make personal contact with another manager within the service area, or a designated departmental contact. Your department will provide you with the details of your contact. You need to notify your line manager on the 1st, 4th, 8th and every subsequent 7th day of absence (unless covered for a longer period by a Doctor’s Certificate). If you do not follow this procedure we will consider your absence to be unauthorised, which means that you will not be able to access sick allowance. You need to submit a Self Certificate Form each time you are off ill and if your absence goes beyond 7 consecutive days you will have to get a Doctor’s Certificate to cover any ongoing absence. If you do not get your certificates in on time we will not be able to pay your sickness allowance. At any time, if we have concerns over your absences, we may refer you to our Occupational Health Service for examination. They may also ask your permission to get a report from your General Practitioner. These facilities and arrangements help us to assist you in better maintaining a good level of attendance. The Council’s Attendance Management Policy outlines what you can expect from the Council and what we will do to manage your attendance at work.

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You can expect:

A supportive approach from management

Fair treatment

Consistency

Confidentiality

A firm approach to employees who abuse the system, and

A counselling service Your manager will:

Carry out return to work interviews

Meet with you to discuss your absence and support which can be provided

Monitor attendance levels, keep records and discuss these with employees

Keep records of meetings, about your attendance at work The Council will:

Provide training for employees who need to manage employees attendance at work, and

Deal quickly with cases of long-term incapacity If you are concerned about an attendance issue please speak to your line manager, who will explain the various stages of the Attendance Management process.

Sickness Allowance

The sickness allowance available to you when you are ill is in two parts:- 1. Statutory Sick Pay (SSP) is a government benefit, and as long as you qualify

for this we will pay it on the government’s behalf for up to 28 weeks. If you do not qualify for SSP you may still be able to get some form of benefit from the Department of Work and Pensions.

2. Occupational Sick Pay Allowance is paid at our discretion and incorporates any SSP you are entitled to.

The current entitlement is shown on the table below, however you need to meet the qualifying period and follow our reporting procedures to be eligible.

Occupational Sick Pay Allowance

Continuous Service on the day your sickness absence starts

Period of Full Pay Period of Half Pay

Less than 26 weeks Nil Nil

26 weeks or more but less than 1 year

5 weeks

5 weeks

1 year but less than 2 years 9 weeks 9 weeks

2 years but less than 3 years 18 weeks 18 weeks

3 years but less than 5 years 22 weeks 22 weeks

5 years and over 26 weeks 26 weeks

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An employee who is paid any damages as the result of an accident will be required to re-pay any sickness allowance advanced, either in total or the proportion thereof represented in the amount of damages received. Any period of absence in such a case where a refund of the advance is made in full, will not be treated as sickness absence. If you are ill when off on annual leave we might consider that part of your leave as sick leave rather than annual leave. For us to consider this we would need you to submit a Doctor’s Certificate covering the days you were ill. If you are ill on a public holiday you will be treated as having taken the public holiday as normal and no payment or time off in lieu will be made.

Matters of Conduct or Concern

We need to make you aware of our expected standards of conduct whilst you work for us. If you don’t adhere to these standards then we will consider treating any breaches under our disciplinary processes. Our requirement of you is that you will:-

Be honest in all dealings with us and others with whom you work

At all times behave in a respectful and tolerant manner with colleagues, customers and others with whom we work

Not abuse our facilities or property

Not disclose confidential information which you may come into contact with during your work

Be frank and upfront about any commercial interest you may have in any business we deal with

Not publish or profit from any work done within our organisation as this belongs to us until such time as we give permission for its use

Not accept any gift, (except small incidental items e.g. pens, calendars, etc), favour or inducement from any organisation you deal with. If you do accept a gift you should ensure that this is registered

Follow our policies, procedures and aims regardless of any personal or political beliefs you may have

Our Code of Conduct gives all the details and if you are in any doubt please speak to your line manager

Discipline

We want to maintain the highest possible standards of attendance, conduct and performance and our disciplinary processes are here to help you to do this.

Informal Action Most often you should expect us to try and deal with any minor difficulties in an informal manner first. Your Line manager will speak to you and confirm any improvements required or support identified. This is not formal action at this stage, simply confirmation of required action.

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Formal Action We will follow our formal process when attempts to have improvements dealt with under the informal process have not been successful. We will also use our formal process straight away for more serious matters. In our formal disciplinary process we will follow these principles:

We will not take any action without giving you the chance to state your case, and a reasonable investigation has taken place

If we feel you may have committed a very serious breach of discipline we may suspend you on full pay whilst the matter is being investigated

We do not normally dismiss anyone for a first offence - unless it is a very serious one

If we ask you to attend a formal disciplinary hearing you can be accompanied by either a trade union representative or a colleague

We will give you as much information/documents relating to the matter as is possible for you to prepare for any formal meeting

If we take action against you (other than to dismiss you) we will be clear on the improvement we are seeking and the timescale within which we want this to be achieved

You will have a right of appeal if we take any action Check the Disciplinary Procedures for further details.

Raising a Grievance

We want to ensure you feel comfortable that any issues or disputes you raise will be looked at and resolved wherever possible. You are encouraged to raise concerns at the lowest possible level and we will do our best to resolve these quickly.

Informal Action Most often you should try and have your concerns dealt with in an informal manner first. Raise any concerns with your Line manager who will discuss these with you and attempt to find a satisfactory resolution. If this approach does not work you can use our formal process.

Formal Action - Stage 1 You can submit a Stage 1 grievance to your Head of Service, and a nominated Senior Officer will arrange to meet you and consider your grievance. You will be notified of the outcome of this meeting. If you are not satisfied with the outcome and feel that the matter has not been resolved you can appeal this outcome.

Formal Action - Stage 2 You can submit a Stage 2 grievance to your Head of Service, and a nominated Senior Officer will arrange to meet you and consider your grievance. You will be notified of the outcome of this meeting. If you are not satisfied with the outcome and feel that the matter has not been resolved you can appeal this outcome.

Formal Action - Stage 3 You should submit details of your appeal in writing to the Head of Human Resources and Organisational Development within 14 days requesting that the matter be heard

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by the Appeals Panel. Attempts can still be made by both parties to resolve the grievance prior to the Appeals Panel meeting. For details on the full process refer to the Grievance Procedures.

Dignity at Work

We are fully committed to creating a workplace that ensures our employees are treated with respect at all times. Any form of harassment, victimisation, discrimination or bullying will not be tolerated and we have a separate Dignity at Work Policy which gives full details. The key points from our Policy which affect you include:-

You are required to ensure you take personal responsibility within the scope of our policy to ensure that any harassment does not occur

Your behaviour should be such as to not cause offence or discriminate against colleagues and/or others

You should draw our attention to any apparent instances of harassment

If you feel that you have been subjected to a breach of the policy you should raise this matter in line with the arrangements set out in the policy

Support for Employees Experiencing Domestic Violence

The Domestic Abuse Policy applies to any employee who may be experiencing domestic abuse or may be the perpetrator of domestic abuse. We will provide support to you if you are experiencing domestic abuse and will take all steps practicable to help eliminate domestic violence. If reasonable grounds are established that an employee is guilty of perpetrating domestic violence (whether or not there has been a criminal conviction) then consideration will be given as to whether there is a conflict between such behaviour and the employee's job. Where a conflict is identified then appropriate disciplinary action may be taken.

Further information is contained within the Domestic Abuse Policy.

Alcohol/Substance Misuse

We operate a zero tolerance approach to alcohol or substance misuse in the workplace. If an employee has an alcohol or substance misuse problem, we will try to help them as far as possible. This policy aims to help identify problems and make sure that managers, employees and trades unions have the confidence to deal with them effectively once they come to light.. All our employees are expected to report for work completely free from the effects of alcohol or other illegal substances and remain free from these effects for the duration of their working day or shift.

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If you have, or think you might have, an alcohol or substance misuse problem, or for more information on the Policy you can speak to your manager, HR, or a trade union representative.

Safer Recruitment

In line with the as amended Rehabilitation of Offenders Act 1974 (Exclusions and Exceptions) (Scotland) Order 2013 we will only ask about convictions which are defined as “unspent” in terms of that Act. Where a post has been deemed an “excepted” post and you will be required to disclose ALL previous convictions. Please refer to the role profile for your post. It is a condition of your employment that if you are arrested, charged, convicted of a criminal offence, bound over or cautioned, pending appointment to, or whilst employed in the Council’s service that you report details of the matter to your Section Head, or a more Senior Manager, who may decide to investigate the matter taking account of the Council’s Code of Conduct. Where information on un-notified criminal charges comes to the Council’s attention this will be discussed with you and appropriate action taken. Where your post has been classified as requiring a Disclosure Scotland Police check because of one or more of the following criteria; this will be undertaken upon offer of appointment:

1. You are required to administer the law; 2. You are involved in a sensitive area of work; 3. Your professional remit and responsibilities;

The Council reserves the right to seek a Disclosure Check at regular intervals and/or to undertake a retrospective check where no previous check has been carried out. Where information on un-notified convictions, both spent or unspent, comes to the Council’s attention through this process, the Council will discuss this with you and will take appropriate action if required. Please refer to the role profile provided for your post. Where your post is considered to be regulated work with children and/or vulnerable adults, as specified within the Protection of Vulnerable Groups (Scotland) Act 2007. Accordingly membership of the appropriate PVG scheme(s) is essential and you will be invited to make the necessary application. Please refer to the role profile provided for your post. Under the PVG scheme, the Council will be notified if you are listed or are being considered to be listed as unsuitable to work with children and/or vulnerable adults.

Organisational Change Policy

As a large organisation we are constantly looking at how we can provide services most effectively. This may mean we have to reorganise or change the number of people employed in a particular area. If the Council needs to reduce the number of employees, we will work with trades unions to make sure that compulsory redundancies are kept to a minimum. The Organisational Change Policy sets out the steps to be followed when the Council needs to reorganise services or when a service needs to reorganise the services it provides.

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As well as guidance on how to manage change the policy and guidelines aim to:-

Make sure that there is open and honest discussion between managers, trades unions and employees in any change situation

Make sure that employees affected by the change are involved in what happens

Provide guidance on how an employee or group of employees should be matched to new jobs after reorganisation or restructuring of services

Give guidance on alternatives to compulsory redundancy when it is necessary to reduce employee numbers.

Restructuring and Redeployment Protocol

In order to support Organisational change a restructuring and redeployment protocol is available to support employees to find suitable alternative employment within the organisation.

Notice Periods

You are required to give the Council the following notice period in writing to terminate employment:-

Employee Notice Period to Terminate Employment

Grade 1 and Grade 2 1 week

Grade 3 to Grade 7 4 weeks

Grade 8 to Grade 12 8 weeks

Unless agreed otherwise by management, these notice periods will also apply when leaving one Council job to take up another internal post in the Council. The statutory minimum period of notice to be given by the Council is:

Employer Notice Period to Terminate Employment Irrespective of Grade Period of Continuous Service Minimum Period Of Notice

1 month or more but less than 2 years

1 week

2 years or more but less than 12 years

1 week for each year of continuous service 12 years or more 12 weeks

Termination of your contract may be by summary dismissal without notice in writing, in cases of gross misconduct as set out in the Council’s Disciplinary Policy and Procedure. Where your contract of employment is terminated by the Council for any reason other than gross misconduct (ie. capability, ill-health, redundancy, statutory bar, or some other substantial reason) such termination shall be with notice. During and after the termination (for whatever reason) of your appointment with the Council, you will continue to be subject to a duty of confidentiality in relation to any information of a confidential nature which has come to your knowledge in the course of your appointment with and related to the activities of the Council.

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You shall not, except in the performance of your duties with the Council or unless ordered to do so by a Court or Tribunal or at the request and direction of the Scottish, UK or European Government or its agents, (acting lawfully) divulge to any person in any manner whatsoever any confidential information covering the business or transactions of the Council and its activities and/or its employees. You shall use all reasonable endeavours to prevent the improper disclosure of such information.

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SECTION 8 - BENEFITS AND FACILITIES FOR COUNCIL EMPLOYEES We offer an excellent employment benefits package to all our employees and we have listed some information below on the benefits you can enjoy.

Local Government Pension Scheme

On commencing employment, employees with contracts of 3 months or more and who are aged 16 or over will be contractually enrolled into the Local Government Pension Scheme (LGPS) and can remain a member of the scheme until age 75 (known as contractual enrolment). Employees, age 16 or over and who have a contract for less than 3 months will not be contractually enrolled into the Local Government Pension Scheme (per the LGPS Regulations), however have the right to opt to join the pension scheme from the start of their contract. If the contract is subsequently extended so that the total period is for 3 months or more, employees will be automatically entered into the scheme upon the extension of their contract and will have the right to backdate their membership to the first day of employment by paying the relevant contributions. Opting into LGPS is achieved by sending signed, written confirmation to the Payroll Section, Council Offices, Garshake Road, Dumbarton, or email payroll@west-dunbarton.gov.uk and must state the phrase “I confirm I personally submitted this notice to join the Local Government Pension Scheme”. Further information on the scheme, including the relevant forms to complete, will be sent to the employee and they will be enrolled into the LGPS in line with the pay cycle. To help people save more for their retirement, the government now requires employers to enrol their workers into a workplace pension scheme. This applies to those who aren’t already in one and who:

earn over £9,440 a year(or pro-rata per pay period)

are aged 22 or over; and

are under State Pension age. As employees meet the automatic enrolment rules we will enrol you into our pension scheme. We will write to you to advise you when this is the case.

You can choose to opt out of the scheme if you want to, but if you stay in you receive a pension when you retire

Both the Council and you will pay into it every month

The government will also contribute through tax relief

Your pension belongs to you, even if you leave us in the future

Once a year you will get a statement indicating how much your pension has built

up and how much you might get when you reach retirement age

There is a Death in Service Benefit

And a Tiered ill-health retirement

Further information on the Local Government Pension Scheme can be obtained from Strathclyde Pension Fund Office website at: www.spfo.org.uk Questions about the scheme, should be directed to Strathclyde Pension Fund Office on 0845 213 0202 or by email at spfo@glasgow.gov.uk

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General information about pensions and saving for retirement can be obtained from: www.direct.gov.uk In addition you can choose to top up your tax free lump sum and your pension by purchasing Additional Voluntary Contributions (AVC’s). Further information on this option is available from Prudential on 0845 607 0077 or from their website www.pru.co.uk/localgov

Retirement

You can retire at any age of your choosing in line with notice requirements and appropriate employer consent. The Local Government Pension Scheme normal retirement age is 65, and if you are a member of the Scheme have right to access your pension benefits from this age. If you are a member of the LGPS, and wish to retire at age 65 or beyond you must provide your Line Manager with 4 months notice of your intended retirement date, to ensure the Council meets administrative requirements and notice periods set out by the Pension Fund administrators.

Group Life Assurance

The Council operates a non-contributory life assurance scheme, which provides a death in service benefit equal to your annual salary to your spouse/partner or dependant for employees in post prior to 1 May 2009. Where staff are matched to a post through a restructuring exercise you will retain this benefit. Staff commencing employment with West Dunbartonshire Council after 1 May 2009, are not eligible for the group life assurance benefit. Staff who are obtain a new post within the Council for any other reason (eg promotion) are advised that Group Life Assurance Scheme will be withdrawn.

Savings and Investments

You have the option of joining the Scotwest Credit Union. Scotwest offers its members a unique range of savings accounts, loans and other products and benefits. These include:

Easy savings made by automatic payroll deduction from pay Easy repayment of loans as deducted direct from pay Competitive rates of interest on savings Quick loan decisions No hidden fees or charges Free loan protection insurance (conditions apply)

Check their website for further information and an application form - http://www.scotwest.co.uk

Specsavers Premium Club Vouchers

You can benefit from savings of up £20 on spectacles from Specsavers. The Premium Club voucher can be used against spectacles from their £99 or above range. Not only can you use this voucher for yourself but you can also claim another 2 vouchers which can be given to family members or friends.

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Cycle to Work Scheme

We support the Government scheme to encourage healthier journeys to work and to reduce environmental pollution. The Cycle to Work Scheme is where you agree to sacrifice part of your gross salary in return for the hire of a bike and any related safety equipment. Information on the scheme will be published on the intranet.

Long Service Awards

We value the service of our employees and we have long service awards for employees who reach 25 years service with West Dunbartonshire Council. Information on the awards is available on the intranet.

SECTION 9 - MISCELLANEOUS

Employee Development

We are committed to providing all employees with effective learning and development opportunities. The ongoing training, skills development, and learning of our employees is fundamental to ensure we have a highly skilled and talented workforce who achieve their personal best and deliver the highest quality services to our customers. A range of learning and development opportunities are provided through departmental training plans or the Organisational Development team. All employees are encouraged to discuss their personal development needs with their line manager and agree a plan which will facilitate the required support, training, and continuous development.

Employee Communication

We value our employees and believe that good employee communications are important. In our drive to create an environment of trust, we recognise that all employees are entitled to information that impacts on their work life and we fulfil our responsibility to provide this. We encourage our employees to share information with each other and with the Council, without worry, so that we can all improve the services we provide to our communities. In communicating with our employees, we are committed to:

Communicating with employees in an open and honest way

Ensuring that employees are given priority in receiving information that is relevant to their job

Ensuring employees receive information about Council and service developments directly from the Council and as early as possible

Encouraging two-way communication with employees and listening to their views

Involving trades unions and elected members in the communication process You can obtain a copy of the Internal Communications Strategy on the Intranet.

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Trades Union/Partnership Working

The Council also recognises a number of trades unions for collective bargaining, and if any changes to terms and conditions arise in the future through local collective agreements negotiated and agreed by the recognised trades unions, then these will be automatically incorporated into your terms and conditions. The Council is also committed to resolving employee relations issues through discussion and agreement wherever possible. You have the right to choose to join a trade union.

Equal Opportunities

West Dunbartonshire Council is committed to ensuring that the ethos and principles of equality of opportunity and valuing diversity are embedded in all aspects of service delivery and are a guiding principle for all its activities. The Council strives to embrace a positive attitude towards the promotion of equality and diversity and to create a working environment which is inclusive of everyone regardless of age, disability, gender reassignment, marriage and civil partnership, pregnancy and maternity, race, religion and belief, sex, sexual orientation. You can find out more about our approach to equalities by visiting the Council’s public website at: http://www.wdcweb.info/law-and-licensing/equality-and-diversity/

Personal Information

You need to keep us up to date with any changes to your personal details such as home address, next of kin, and emergency contacts. Where available staff should use the HR21 system to update personal records. You should also tell your line manager or appropriate person if you have any particular allergies or conditions that may be important in any emergency. We will keep all your confidential details secure at all times and will not inappropriately disclose these to any third parties without your knowledge or consent. We expect our employees to keep up to date with council tax payments and we reserve the right to use computerised payroll file information to identify council tax arrears. We also participate in an anti-fraud initiative organised by Audit Scotland and are required to provide them with details of employees to enable comparison with other information provided by us and other public bodies to ensure that public funds are being paid to individuals entitled to them.

ICT Acceptable Use & Security

The Council has a large investment in the use of Information and Communication Technology (ICT) which is used to the benefit of all departments. In many areas of work the use of ICT is vital and must be protected from any form of disruption or loss of service. It is therefore essential that the availability, integrity and confidentiality of the ICT systems and data be maintained at a level, which is appropriate for the Council’s needs.

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When you commence employment with the Council you will be issued with a copy of the ICT Acceptable Use & Security Policy. Failure to comply with the Council’s ICT Policy may result in disciplinary action. Full guidance on good practice is available on the ICT Self Serve on the intranet, from your manager or HR Connect.

Social Media Policy

The Council requires all employees to comply with the Social Media Policy and Employee Guidelines. Out with the workplace the Council recognises their employees’ rights to personal use of social media, however, employees should be aware that posting of certain information or comments, even in their own time and using their own equipment may be in breach of the Council or relevant professional Code of Conduct. Many professions will have a code of professionalism and employees should familiarise themselves with the conduct expected by their professional body and ensure that their profile and any related content are consistent with how they would wish to present themselves to colleagues and professional contacts. A copy of the Social Media Policy and Employee Guidelines can be obtained from the HR Knowledge Portal on the intranet, your Manager or HR Connect.

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Appendix 1: Pay and Grading Structure 1 April 2014 Grade SCP Hourly Rate

Annual Salary

(35 hours) Annual Salary

(37 hours)

1 3 6.48 11,825 12,501

5 6.70 12,226 12,925

7 6.89 12,573 13,292

9 7.10 12,956 13,679

2 12 7.43 13,599 14,333

14 7.64 13,942 14,738

16 7.89 14,398 15,221

18 8.10 14,781 15,626

3 22 8.61 15,712 16,610

24 8.88 16,205 17,131

26 9.14 16,679 17,632

28 9.41 17,172 18,153

4 31 9.85 17,975 19,002

33 10.15 18,522 19,581

35 10.46 19,088 20,179

37 10.78 19,672 20,796

5 40 11.26 20,548 21,722

42 11.58 21,132 22,339

44 11.95 21,807 23,053

46 12.31 22,464 23,748

6 50 13.07 23,851 25,214

52 13.46 24,563 25,966

54 13.87 25,311 26,757

56 14.29 26,077 27,567

7 61 15.41 28,121 29,728

63 15.88 28,979 30,635

65 16.34 29,818 31,522

67 16.85 30,749 32,506

8 70 17.60 32,118 33,953

72 18.13 33,085 34,976

74 18.69 34,107 36,056

76 19.23 35,092 37,098

9 79 20.13 36,735 38,834

81 20.74 37,848 40,011

83 21.37 38,998 41,226

85 22.01 40,166 42,461

10 88 23.03 42,027 44,429

90 23.70 43,250 45,721

92 24.42 44,564 47,110

94 25.18 45,950 48,576

11 97 26.32 48,031 50,776

99 27.11 49,473 52,300

101 27.92 50,951 53,862

103 28.75 52,465 55,463

12 106 30.08 54,892 58,029

108 31.01 56,590 59,823

110 31.92 58,250 61,579

112 32.89 60,020 63,450

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Appendix 2: National Agreed Rates for Specific Allowances/Payments

Sleeping-in Duty Payments 01/04/14

Sleeping-in Duty Allowance per session £34.20

Standby Duty and Call-out Payments

Standby Duty Payments 01/04/14

For each complete week of standby duty actually performed Plus For each public or extra statutory holiday in that week

£82.39

£15.46

For broken periods of standby duty : Monday to Friday Saturday Sunday, public and extra statutory holiday

£8.21 £17.47 £23.81

Each 24 hour period of standby duty is to commence at the beginning of the working day (or at the same hour on non-working days).

Disturbance and Call Out Payments Employees undertaking standby duty, who are contacted or called out in accordance with the agreed arrangements will be paid on the following basis: (i) for each occasion on which the employee is contacted which results in the

use of the skills for which the standby duty is required, either at the employee’s home or elsewhere, a payment as outlined in the table below will be made. An employee will, however, only be entitled to one such payment within each period of 2 hours commencing with the start of the standby session.

(ii) Where an employee becomes entitled to a payment as above, and where

that, or subsequent call out is in excess of one hour, the employee will be entitled to further payment for the whole of the period or call-out at the appropriate overtime rates.

01/04/14

Disturbance & call out payment £13.16

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Payments for Employees not on Standby Employees not undertaking standby duty but who are contacted our called out will be paid on the following basis:- (i) for each occasion on which the employee is contacted which results in the

exercise of skills for which the standby duty is required, either at the employee’s home or elsewhere, a payment as outlined in the table below will be made. An employee will, however, only be entitled to one such payment within each period of 2 hours commencing with the start of the notional standby session, and

(ii) Where an employee becomes entitled to a payment as above, and where

that, or subsequent call out is in excess of one hour, the employee will be entitled to further payment for the whole of the period or call-out at the appropriate overtime rates.

01/04/14

Employees not on standby payment £18.10

First Aid Allowance

From 1 October 2013 an annual allowance of £365.96 per annum

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Term Time Calculator

Weeks Worked

38 39 40 41 42

Years Service

<1 44.4 45.4 46.4 47.4 48.4

Paid Weeks (Inc. PH and AL

entitlement)

1 44.6 45.6 46.6 47.6 48.6

2 44.8 45.8 46.8 47.8 48.8

3 45.0 46.0 47.0 48.0 49.0

4 45.2 46.2 47.2 48.2 49.2

5 45.4 46.4 47.4 48.4 49.4

6 45.6 46.6 47.6 48.6 49.6

7 45.8 46.8 47.8 48.8 49.8

8 46.0 47.0 48.0 49.0 50.0

9 46.2 47.2 48.2 49.2 50.2

10 46.4 47.4 48.4 49.4 50.4

Example: A term time (39 week) Clerical Assistant (SCP28) works 15 hours per week and has 8 years service. Using the table above they are entitled to 47 paid weeks per year. To calculate their term time salary the following formula should be used Number of Hours Worked x Number of Paid Weeks x Hourly Rate. 15 hours x 47 paid weeks x £9.41 hourly rate

= £6,634 (salary per annum)