Civil Service pay and Unions

You asked

Please provide the following information under the Freedom of Information Act.

1) Name of unions which are signatories to your main collective agreement covering pay and conditions;

2) Number of employees covered by the agreement;

3) Lists of grades and current pay rates. Please indicate any agreed equivalence between the grade names used within the list and the following civil service grades:

  1) Administrative Assistant (AA)

   2) Administrative Officer (AO)

   3) Executive Officer (EO)

   4) Higher Executive Officer (HEO)

   5) Senior Executive Officer (SEO)

   6) Grade 7

   7) Grade 6

4) Copy of latest pay settlement. Please provide the following information on how any pay increase has been applied:

a. Is the paybill increase based on pay guidance set by the Treasury? b. Have there been any changes to the pay scales? c. Are progression payments being paid? d. Are performance-related bonuses being paid? If so, what are the arrangements for performance-related bonuses?

We said

​Thank you for your request.

Please see our responses to your questions as follows:

1) Name of unions which are signatories to your main collective agreement covering pay and conditions;

PCS – Public and Commercial Services Union

Prospect

FDA – formerly the Association of First Division Civil Servants.

2) Number of employees covered by the agreement;

As at 31st July 2019:

Headcount: 4592

FTE: 3981

3) Lists of grades and current pay rates. Please indicate any agreed equivalence between the grade names used within the list and the following civil service grades:

Pay Scales attached for Delegated Grades covered by collective agreements (all in line with CS grades).

4) Copy of latest pay settlement. Please provide the following information on how any pay increase has been applied:

An Exceptional Business Case was submitted to Cabinet Office and HM Treasury and agreed, with a 2.5% increase to the pay bill.

Please note that to address recruitment and retention issues, there are additional arrangements in place for Interviewers roles (see the details at the end of the response).

AA – Grade 6 Staff

• With effect from 01 August 2018 all staff within Grades AA to Grade 6 will receive a minimum pay increase of 1.8%. ◦ This minimum increase does not form a contractual entitlement and is included within, not in addition to, any other changes outlined in this offer.

• The above minimum pay increase will be greater if staff are on an entry rate of pay and;

have two or more years at their current substantive grade. This is if, as a result of moving from an 'entry' rate of pay to the minimum of the 'target' zone, is greater than 1.8%.

or

have one complete year at their current substantive grade¹, but require a greater than 1.8% pay increase to move to within 1% of the minimum of the 'target' zone.

It is important to note that we have made a variable offer, that is underpinned at 1.8%

The above minimum pay increase will be greater if staff are a homebased worker in London, who are now contractually eligible to receive London weighting which is greater than 1.8%;

Please note all values will be pro-rated where applicable. The value of some spot rate increases are aligned towards National Living Wage expectations.

Interviewer Staff

With an effect from 01 August 2018, a Market Premia Allowance of £1,500 (pro-rated) to address resourcing issues at Stansted Airport will be introduced.

• This provision will be non-pensionable and does not form a contractual entitlement. It will be included within Pay Policy as a discretionary (i.e. removable) payment that is reviewed through the annual allowance review cycle.

a. Is the pay bill increase based on pay guidance set by the Treasury?

The 2018-19 Civil Service Pay Guidance stated that other than in exceptional circumstances, average pay awards for government departments would be in the region of 1% to 1.5%.

This was not enough to meet our policy obligations and we took an exceptional case to HM Treasury and Cabinet Office for a higher award. This was approved, meaning we were able to secure a 2.5% increase to our pay bill.

b. Have there been any changes to the pay scales?

Not since the 1st August 2018.

c. Are progression payments being paid?

No, progression payments were removed in 2016.

d. Are performance-related bonuses being paid? If so, what are the arrangements for performance-related bonuses?

Since 2018 the Authority has a Real-Time Recognition Scheme. The scheme ends a link between end of year bonuses and performance, in line with the Civil Service's new approach to performance management. Please see the link below.

The fairness and inclusiveness in assured by Directorate/Divisional Benchmarking panels and monitoring of awards distribution.

https://www.civilserviceworld.com/articles/news/civil-service-performance-management-set-major-overhaul-%E2%80%93-full-details-and-reaction

Notes

1. As at the effective date of the pay award, staff will meet this definition if they have a minimum of one complete year at their current substantive grade and are not on formal procedures as defined in the managing performance policy.