Schools Support Staff Pay Policy

Transcription

1 Effective from January Introduction Schools Support Staff Pay Policy Northamptonshire County Council is committed to operating consistent and equitable pay arrangements for employees. This policy sets out key principles that must be adhered to in establishing employee pay levels and in approving pay related allowances, for support (nonteaching) staff in schools. It sets out the basis for determining salaries, how salary levels are arrived at; the method of pay progression and the approval for acting up and honoraria payments. The Council is an equal opportunities employer and, as such, is committed to the principle of equal pay in employment. The Council believes that its male and female workers should receive equal pay for like work, work rated as equivalent or work of equal value, and in order to achieve this will maintain a pay system that is transparent, based on objective criteria and free from bias. This policy provides Head Teachers and Governing Bodies with guidance on the application of salaries and salary related payment where a decision may sit outside the standard terms, conditions and policies. This policy is not intended to and shall not give rise to any rights under employees contracts of employment. For audit purposes, it is important for schools to be able to provide objective reasons, rationale and justification should they choose to make changes which are outside of the standards set out in the terms and conditions for employment of support staff. This will ensure parity and equality across the organisation as a whole. Where such changes are made unilaterally, there is a risk to the school and the Council. By providing the business case requested in this policy the Council will be able to guide schools in managing the possible risk they may be exposing themselves to by their proposed change. 2. Policy Statement The power to determine the salaries for support staff is identified in schedule 16 and 17 of the School Standards and Framework Act Paragraph 20(2) of Schedule 16 requires the Governing Body of Community, Voluntary Controlled and Community Special Schools to pay in accordance with pay grades used by the Local Authority. It is also identified in the School Staffing Regulations It is the Governing Body s responsibility to ensure that the support staff pay policy is followed, having taken advice from the Head Teacher. The Governing Body has the power to form a Committee to whom responsibility for administration of the support staff pay policy within the school is delegated; hereinafter referred to as the Pay Committee. This responsibility includes the determination of grades and salaries where appropriate. The Pay Committee should comprise of a minimum of three governors, not including staff governors. 1

2 The Pay Committee s remit is: To fairly apply the criteria related to discretionary areas of pay, as identified within the Support Staff Pay Policy. To determine salary at the time of the annual review for all support staff (in terms of incremental progression should performance be of an appropriate level). To review job descriptions annually and where responsibility or accountability is increased, to reconsider a review of the grade in accordance with the Councils job evaluation scheme, as outlined in this policy. To consider the recommendations of the Head Teacher. To ensure that statutory and contractual requirements are applied to all pay decisions. To ensure that adequate records and rationales of decisions are kept for clarity and in case of challenge. This policy is also recommended for adoption by Foundation and Voluntary Aided schools where the Governing Body is the employer. 3. Scope This policy applies to all Local Government Services employees based in Community and Voluntary Controlled schools and Foundation and Voluntary Aided schools where the school has adopted the Council s new pay and grading arrangements. This policy supersedes other arrangements for determining support staff pay. 4. Legal context This policy is in operation to ensure that Schools and the Council meet their obligations under Equal Pay and other relevant employment legislation. 5. National pay provisions The Council is signatory to the collective bargaining arrangements that exist at a national level and govern pay and conditions of service for the employee groups in scope of this policy. At a national level, the following collective bargaining Committee is currently in existence: National Joint Council for Local Government Services Pay levels are reviewed annually by this committee and any cost of living award applied to spinal column points is implemented by the Council. 6. Pay relativity The Head teacher and Governing Body/Pay Committee will seek to ensure that differentials within the School are set in accordance with equality. Where possible, appropriate differentials will be created and maintained, following the appropriate guidelines and recognising accountability, job size and the need to recruit, retain and motivate sufficient employees of the required quality at all levels. 2

3 7. Delegated authority levels The Head Teacher should be aware, in discussions with employees or potential employees that any variation in pay detailed within this policy is subject to appropriate approval, as described below. Decisions on pay detailed within this policy are delegated as follows: Decision Starting Pay (above grade minimum) Pay Progression (accelerated) Acting-up Payment Honorarium Payment: (i) total value up to 500 (ii) total value over 500 Delegated authority level Head Teacher Pay Committee following a recommendation from the Head Teacher Head Teacher (i)head Teacher (ii) Pay Committee following a recommendation from the Head Teacher The Governing Body is responsible for ensuring that decisions on pay are made in accordance with the delegated authority levels and are compliant with the terms of this Pay Policy. The Head Teacher is responsible for ensuring that the pay recommendations are made in accordance with this policy and that where the Pay Committee has approved a proposal the correct salary notification is sent to Payroll and HR Transactions (or the Payroll Provider). 8. Starting pay The pay grade of Local Government Services jobs will be determined by the use of the Hay job evaluation scheme. For support staff, in Community and Voluntary Controlled schools and in Foundation and Voluntary Aided schools that have chosen to follow the Council s pay and benefits arrangements, all appointments must be to a job from the job library. A live version of the job library can be found at If the job being appointed to is not represented by a job in the job library, guidance must be sought from your Senior HR and Change Adviser as a job analysis questionnaire for the new role must be competed and submitted to the pay and benefits team for grading by a job evaluation panel. Details of this process can be found on the schools extranet. Employees appointed to jobs within schools will normally be appointed to the minimum point of the pay grade for the job. Grades for all jobs can be found on the job library at In certain circumstances it may be appropriate to appoint to a higher point in the pay grade. This may arise when the preferred candidate for the job is in or has been in receipt of a salary at a higher level than the grade minimum. Head Teachers who wish to appoint a candidate at a level above the grade minimum must ensure they have an objective reason for this decision, which is documented at the time of 3

4 appointment. Head Teachers may seek guidance from a Senior HR and Change Advisor, if required. 9. Pay progression (accelerated) The Council and Schools have linked progression to performance for any increments to be paid. Based on an assessment of satisfactory performance, employees may be awarded an increment related to what they achieve and contribute. If through the performance management system in schools employees are eligible for an increment this will be paid each April until the employee reaches the top of their grade. Issues will arise if schools seek to accelerate the progression of employees though the incremental points. All progression must be linked to performance; Head teachers must provide objective reasons to the Pay Committee for any exceptions to this. 10. Acting-up to a higher graded job Acting-up is appropriate when the higher graded post becomes temporarily vacant due to maternity leave, sick leave etc. Acting-up allowances are made to employees who agree to carry out the full or partial duties and responsibilities of a higher graded job. The higher graded job must be an establishment job from the job library. The allowance is payable when an employee carries out the work of the higher grade job for a continuous period of at least four weeks, for any reason other than annual leave. An employee who undertakes the full duties and responsibilities of a higher graded job will receive the salary that would apply if they were promoted to the higher graded post. An employee who undertakes part of the duties and responsibilities of a higher grade job will receive a partial acting-up allowance. For example, if the employee is covering 20% of the higher graded duties and responsibilities then they would receive 20% of the grade differential as the acting up allowance. Acting-up payments can be shared between two or more employees on a pro-rata basis. The employees concerned must undertake the full duties and responsibilities of the job for the specified period of time. For example, if the employee is spending 50% of their time on the acting up role then they would receive 50% of the grade differential as acting-up allowance. Payment of any acting-up allowance will usually be for a maximum of 12 months. Where there is a need to cover a position for more than 12 months then consideration should be given to advertising the vacancy more widely. Where the Head Teacher wishes to use either full or partial acting up arrangements, they are advised to discuss this with their Pay Committee. In addition, the Head Teacher may also seek guidance from a Senior HR and Change Advisor, if required. Normally, the starting pay will be the minimum of the new grade s spinal column point. 4

5 Acting-up allowances are removed once the need for the acting-up arrangement no longer exists. The Head Teachers is responsible for ensuring that employees receive sufficient notice of the changes and that HR Operations (or the appropriate Payroll Provider) are notified. Acting-up allowances are a pensionable, contractual element of pay and are included in the calculation of benefits such as sick pay, holiday pay etc. During a period of acting-up, employees are entitled to receive the full contractual benefits appropriate to the higher graded job. 11. Honorarium payments An honorarium payment is a one-off payment and will be paid on a pro-rata basis to parttime employees, proportionate to their working hours. An honoraria payment can only be made where there is clear evidence to support the following circumstances: where an employee temporarily carries out significant additional work over and above their usual responsibilities; where an employee carries out a significant amount of work over their normal contracted hours, but is not eligible for overtime payments because of their placing on the salary scale. An honorarium payment cannot be made in the following circumstances: where the employee is carrying out the full or partial duties and responsibilities of a higher graded job, when an acting-up payment should be made; where the ongoing duties and responsibilities of the job have changed to the extent that the job should be re matched to another job in the job library or a new job analysis questionnaire be submitted for re-evaluation; where the additional work undertaken is commensurate with the employees current job description/salary grade. Honorarium payments are calculated as follows: An amount equal to the difference between the highest and lowest spinal column points within the employee s current salary grade or A figure that is considered fair and equitable when considered against the nature of the additional work being undertaken over and above the employee s usual responsibilities. Where the Head Teacher wishes to award an honorarium to an individual employee they will be required make a recommendation for awarding the honorarium to their Pay Committee. The Head Teacher should seek guidance from a Senior HR and Change Advisor. The delegated authority levels to approval honorarium payments are dependent upon the level of payment being recommended. 5

6 Honorarium payments - total value of up to 500 Honorarium payments which total up to 500 in a 12 month period can be approved by the Head Teacher provided there is a record of an objective reason for the payment. Honorarium payments total value of over 500 The Head Teacher must make a recommendation to the Pay Committee in the form of a recommendation to award an honorarium of over 500 in any 12 month period; the request will then be discussed by the Pay Committee. The Pay Committee will: consider the request presented by the Head Teacher and the impact to the school and Council of awarding the honorarium payment; determine whether an honorarium payment is appropriate; if so, determine the level of payment giving consideration to the proposal presented by the Head Teacher; ensure their proposed decision is compliant with this Pay policy; The decision of the Pay Committee is final. Honorarium payments based on spinal column point differentials will be subject to any cost of living increase applied to the Council s salary points. Honorarium payments are pensionable Overtime The arrangements for working and payment of overtime are set out in the Schools Overtime Policy. 13. Market Shortages In exceptional circumstances, a market shortage may be required to ensure the School and Council remains competitive within the job market; however every effort should be made to recruit or retain staff on salaries within the range of the evaluated grade for the job. Where there are market shortages, the Head Teachers is asked to contact their Senior HR and Change Advisor for advice. 14. Monitoring and Review The LGSS Director of People, Transformation and Transactional Services is responsible for the ongoing monitoring and review of the Council s policy and any changes, subject to consultation with the relevant trade union representatives. Any changes will be notified to the school for adoption by the Governing Body. If the school makes a decision which affects the Councils equal pay policy, and appears to create risk to the school or the Council, the Council reserves the right to contact the school directly and if necessary to invoke the conditions of the statutory guidance Schemes for Financing Schools. 6