Benefits and Rewards
Final Salary Pension Scheme
We offer all employees under the age of 65 the option of joining the Local Government Pension Scheme. This is one of the best pensions currently available and was recently valued as being three times the value of a typical money purchase scheme. It costs between 5.5% and 7.5% of your gross pay to join. If you work part-time, your rate will be based on the whole time pay rate for your job, although you will only pay contributions on the pay you actually earn. The scheme enjoys tax relief at source and provides:
• A retirement pension based on 1/60 of your final pay for each year of membership
• An option to convert some of your pension into a lump sum
• Life Assurance of three years pay whilst you are a contributing member
• Pensions for your husband/wife/civil partner and eligible children if you die
• Pension benefits if you have to retire due to ill health.
Flexible Working Hours System (flexi-time)
We operate a system of flexible working hours wherever this is practical. This gives you some control over when you want to work your hours, as long as you complete your contracted hours and the needs of the service are met. You will be required to be at work during ‘core hours’. These are 10:00am to 12:00 noon and 2:00pm to 4:00pm each day. The lunch period is between 12:00 noon to 2:00pm and you must take a break of between thirty minutes and two hours. In certain areas, e.g. residential care, flexible working is impractical and individual directorate arrangements are made.
Annual Leave
The amount of annual leave an employee receives is dependant on the grade of the post, which they have been recruited to, and length of any continuous Local Government service. This will normally be between 21 and 28 days.
The annual leave year will run from the 1st of the month following entry into local government services.
In accordance with the National Conditions of Service, employees are given long service enhancements after 5, 10, 15 and 20 years continuous Local Government service.
BHSF
Employees have the opportunity to join the Birmingham Hospital Saturday Fund which is a corporate health cash plan which employees can pay into for a range of benefits.
Salary Payment and Progression
Subject to continuing satisfactory performance and six months employment in the grade, incremental salary increases are paid on 1st April every year for most groups of staff, until the maximum of the salary scale is reached. Additionally, there is a nationally negotiated pay award, payable from the 1st April each year. For most posts, salaries are paid into your bank or building society on the 15th day of each month.
Continuity of Service
If you have previous continuous service in local government or with a recognised related employer, this may be taken into account in determining certain benefits such as annual leave, occupational sick pay and maternity leave, and a break in service of up to 8 years (with no other full-time work undertaken) taken to care for children or dependents may be ignored except for calculating annual leave entitlement.