Job Evaluation Policy (Revised November 2006) 1. Aims The University will use a single job evaluation system for all categories of job, in order to: Establish the relative size of all jobs. Enable all jobs to be allocated to a level (grade) within a common pay structure. Ensure that pay and benefits are allocated on a fair and consistent basis and that the University meets its legal obligation to provide equal pay for work of equal value. Comply with the requirements of the National Framework Agreement for the Modernisation of Pay Structures and take account of JINCHES guidance on role analysis and job evaluation. Strike a balance between the requirement for thorough and effective analysis and evaluation and the need for efficiency and flexibility. 2. Scope This policy will apply to all categories of job which are covered by the National Framework Agreement (ie Levels A H) and excludes clinical academics, Nurses, Professions Allied to Medicine and Farm Workers. It will supersede the existing arrangements and agreements relating to grading for all other staff categories (including Annual Review and Grading Appeals). This policy applies to all appointments made for a period of three months or more. For appointments of less than three months, other arrangements exist. Further details are available from your Faculty/Service Human Resources Officer. 3. Responsibilities The Director of Human Resources will have overall responsibility for the application, monitoring and review of this policy. 1
Line managers will have responsibility for ensuring that job information used in the evaluation process is fair, accurate and in line with guidance provided by Human Resources, which includes the requirement to consult with job holders. Human Resources will be responsible for providing high quality training and professional support to line managers, particularly in the area of job analysis and design. HR Officers will communicate and liaise with managers and staff, and ensure timely and accurate storage of job evaluation data on SAP. Reward Team will organise all panels and provide the necessary evaluator training and information. 4. Monitoring and review The effectiveness of the job evaluation policy will be reviewed on an annual basis and reported to Staff Committee and campus trade unions. 5. Job Evaluation Process The University will evaluate jobs using the Hay system of job evaluation. This is an analytical, factor based system. Jobs will be evaluated by a Job Evaluation Panel. Members of the panel will be drawn from a small pool of staff fully trained in the use of the Hay evaluation methodology. Each panel will comprise: 1 x HR Management Rep (Chair) 1 x Faculty Management Rep 1 x Central Services Management rep 2 x Trade Union reps There will be a quorum of 4 for the panel to take place. Evaluation panels operate on the basis of consensus decision making. However, where any member of the panel is dissatisfied with an evaluation, a request can be made for a re evaluation at a subsequent panel. The panel will decide whether this is acceptable. All panel members are expected to contribute to the evaluation process on equal terms. In order to avoid conflicts of interest, panel members will not take part in evaluations of: 2
their own role a role that they directly manage or report to. Panel members would also be expected to declare any other potential conflict of interest where it may be appropriate not to be involved in an evaluation (e.g. the job of a family member) All discussions within panels, and records of these discussions (including points scores) will be strictly confidential to HR and the panels. Jobs will not normally be re evaluated within a 12 month period, unless considered under the Appeals Process. However in exceptional circumstances, eg a reorganisation, the job may be re evaluated if approved by the Faculty Pro Vice Chancellor or Registrar. 6. Job Descriptions Job evaluation will be carried out on the basis of a comprehensive and up todate job description, prepared to a standard University format by the line manager, in consultation with job holders, with guidance from local HR teams. Both the manager and job holder will be expected to sign off an agreed job description before submission for evaluation or matching. Problems in resolving any dispute over the content of a job description should be referred to the local HR Officer. The job holder may, if he/she wishes, also refer any problems to the appropriate Trade Union representative. In the case of academic and research positions, within the Research, Teaching and Enterprise job family, individual job descriptions are not required. Jobs will continue to be allocated to a grade by reference to the generic role profiles. 7. Notification Individual job holders and their line managers will be informed of the job evaluation results in terms of the level to which their job has been allocated and the pay and terms and conditions which apply to this. Individual job sizes (i.e. points scores) will not be communicated but will be held centrally for reference by Human Resources and future job evaluation panels. 3
8. APPEALS PROCESS 8.1 Non RTE Posts For jobs which are not allocated to the Research, Teaching and Enterprise family, any manager or member of staff who is dissatisfied with the result of the job matching or evaluation will have the opportunity to ask for the evaluation to be reviewed as follows:. (i) (ii) Where the job description remains unchanged the manager may ask for the evaluation to be reviewed. Following communication of the outcome the employee* may then request an appeal. At this stage the original job description or a revised job description may be resubmitted (the latter of which must be signed by all interested parties). Alternatively, following the initial evaluation, a revised job description, signed by all interested parties, may be submitted. *Employees who wish to appeal will be required to provide written reasons for their appeal, within 4 calendar weeks of the date of written notification of the evaluation. These should be submitted to the Reward Manager, via their line manager and Faculty/Service HRO. All appeals will be considered by the Reward Manager, but will normally only be re evaluated if one of the criteria below is the grounds for appeal. Any decisions to reject an appeal at this stage will be reviewed by the Director of Human Resources and notified to the appropriate trade union, which will be given the opportunity to discuss the case prior to the jobholder being informed of this decision. There will be no further right of appeal. Appeals will take the form of a re evaluation of the role by a different panel from the one that originally evaluated the role. At least 3 of the panel members considering the appeal will have had no involvement in the original evaluation. 8.2 RTE Posts Because of the different nature of academic, research and teaching positions, the appeals process is not appropriate for considering the level of work in these areas. Rather, individuals in these roles should apply for a review of their position through the existing academic and research promotions processes. 4
8.3 CRITERIA FOR APPEAL a) Some significant information about the job at the time of its evaluation/matching was not adequately reflected in the job description. In this case, a revised job description, agreed between the job holder and line manager, will need to be submitted. or b) There has been some irregularity in how the matching / evaluation was dealt with which was inconsistent with the Job Evaluation Policy and Procedures. In this case, written details of the breach of policy/procedure should be given. or c) The individual believes that, on the basis of comparison with the job family generic role profiles, their job has been matched/evaluated at the wrong level. There will normally be only one appeal available to either the line manager or job holder. Following an appeal no further evaluation of the role will take place within a period of 12 months, unless this has been approved by the Faculty Pro Vice Chancellor or Registrar, and is due to exceptional circumstances eg a reorganisation. 5