Information for new employees

Pay/Salary Arrangements

Your salary is paid on or around the 15th of each month and paid two weeks in advance and two weeks in arrears. You will also receive an outer fringe allowance payment every month.

Your manager will confirm with you the procedure for making any mileage/expense claims and the deadline for submission. Further information can be found in the Human Resources section on the intranet

Pension Scheme Information

All new employees will automatically be enrolled in the Local Government Pension Scheme (LGPS). This is a Career Average Revalued Earning Scheme (CARE) scheme. Contributions are between 5.5% and 12.5%.

Key contributions:

• Contributions from the Council
• Secure pension on retirement
• Protection for your loved ones via ill health cover
• Death cover up to x3 your salary
• Ability to translate some of your tax free lump sum on retirement
• No hidden costs or charges - your contributions are based on the amount you earn
• The value of your pension is increased with inflation, meaning it keeps up to date with the cost of living
• The option to opt into a 50/50 scheme, meaning you only pay and receive half your pension contributions

Probation

All new employees to the Council are subject to a 6 month probationary period. The probationary period is for you to settle into your role and to define performance expectations. A formal review will be carried out at weeks 8, 16 and 26.

Annual Leave

The Council's annual leave year runs from 1 April to 31 Match. All leave should be taken in the leave year which it is accrued but employees can carryover a maximum of 4 days leave to the following year with the agreement of your line manager. Your basic leave entitlement will start at either 24 days or 27 days depending on the grade of your post. After 5 years' service, this will increase. These entitlements are pro rata for those working less than 37 hours per week.

Buying and Selling Leave

It is recognised that some employees may wish to buy or sell annual leave to give increased flexibility in their work/life balance. The Council runs a scheme where employees have the opportunity to apply to buy or sell 5 days annual leave (pro rata for those who work less than 37 hours per week). You must decide by the deadline in February whether to apply to buy or sell from the next financial year. You cannot buy or sell days once the leave year has commenced.

Flexible Working Scheme

The Council operates a flexi-time system for some of its posts. You will need to speak to your line manager to find out if your post is suitable for flexi-time.

Flexi-time is way of organising working times in such a way that employees have a greater discretion over their start, finish and lunch times with approval of their line manager.

Flexi credits accrued through the scheme can be taken as paid time off (flexi-leave). An employee may, with the approval of their line manager, take up to 2 days flexi leave in any monthly accounting period. This is pro rata for those working less than 37 hours per week.

Sickness Absence Reporting

As soon as you know that you are going to be absent from work, you are required to call the absence reporting line. You will receive further information about this during your first few days at the Council.

The benefits of this service include access to a nurse 24/7, medical support from day one of your absence and signposting to other services available.

Benefits

Childcare Vouchers

Childcare vouchers are a government scheme that allows you to receive part of your salary free of tax and National Insurance, meaning that it saves you money. Please contact Human Resources for more information about how to sign up to childcare vouchers.

Eyecare Vouchers

Council employees are entitled to free eye tests every two years if they work with Visual Display Units (VDU's). The Council can also help toward the cost of spectacles if these are required for work with a VDU, as advised by an Optician.

Cycle to Work Scheme

Cycle Solutions allows to make huge savings on the cost of new bicycles and cycling equipment. Employees will typically save between 31% and 48% of the retail cost of bikes and accessories.

In addition you will also have access to the following benefits:

•    Free Car Parking
•    Local Government Pension Scheme
•    KAARP Benefits (Local business discounts)
•    Electric Cars
•    Buying and Selling Leave
•    Employee Assistance Programme (EAP)
•    Employee Wellbeing
•    Maternity / Paternity and adoption leave

You will be able to access full policies, forms from the intranet 'WINNIE' once you have started at the council.