Working for us
"We're always keen to recruit and retain high quality staff. We know exactly how important our employees are to our success and we invest in everyone who works here.
You might be surprised by the variety of jobs and careers that we offer. We employ a wide range of professions including scientists, engineers, social workers, lawyers and librarians, as well as offering a number of clerical and administrative roles. Our vital public services cover a huge range of disciplines, which means that we're the most diverse employer for miles around.
Whichever role you're most suited to, working with us will bring excellent training and development opportunities, flexible working arrangements and a good pension scheme. We also have a range of benefits for staff and are committed to equality for all, irrespective of age, race, religion, gender, sexuality or disability.
Worcestershire County Council is a winning team and we want to carry on being as successful as we can be. If you can add your skills, experience or talent to our team, we'd love to hear from you."
Trish Haines
Chief Executive
Benefits & 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 6% of your gross pay to join, enjoys tax relief at source and provides:
- A retirement pension based on 1/80 of your final pay for each year of membership
- A tax free lump sum equal to three times the annual pension
- Life assurance of two 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.
Hours of work and flexible working arrangements
Our workforce is vital to our success and we offer working arrangements intended to allow you and your manager to best match your personal needs with the needs of the organisation. We aim to enable you to find a positive balance between your work and home life. We believe that this benefits you and the organisation as a whole, and leads to a more focused, happier and healthier workforce.
The standard full-time working week is 37 hours. We also offer various alternative working arrangements, such as part time working, term time only contracts, home-working, compressed working hours (e.g. 9 day fortnights) or job sharing. If you would like any of these alternative arrangements to be considered, please mention this in your application. If your personal circumstances change during your employment and you wish to change your working arrangements, you can apply to do so.
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 may start work between 7.30am and 9.30am and finish work between 4.00pm and 6.30pm. The lunch period is between 11.45am and 2.15pm; 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.
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. In exceptional circumstances, individuals can be awarded accelerated increments to recognise special merit or ability. 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 28th 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.
Annual leave
(Entitlements quoted are for full-time employees; part-time employees would receive the appropriate proportion)
You will be entitled to 25 days paid annual leave, which includes two extra statutory days leave. The two extra statutory days are 'fixed' as the days after certain public holidays for employees at some operational units. Your entitlement increases to 30 days after 5 years’ continuous service. If you are new to the County Council, coming from either the public or private sector, you could have your existing annual leave arrangements honoured up to the maximum of these leave provisions i.e. up to 30 days (this includes the additional days for long service). The annual leave period shall be from 1st April to 31st March.
Annual Leave for Youth and Community Workers is 30 days, in addition to statutory and general national holidays; workers who immediately prior to the commencement of the leave year have not less than five years’ continuous local authority and/or youth and community work service are entitled to 35 days annual leave.
Time off and other leave
You will not normally be expected to work overtime. However, when it is required, time off in lieu is usually granted instead of overtime payments. For example, if you work an extra four hours to meet a deadline, you might agree with your supervisor to leave earlier one day to reclaim the four extra hours.
Special leave is available to provide you with time off in the event of serious family illness, bereavement, or family or domestic crises. Unpaid parental leave is available to allow you to spend more time with your children while they are young and to relieve some of the stresses of working and caring. Paternity or maternity support leave can be taken to support the mother of a newborn baby, look after the baby or support a partner who is adopting a child. Maternity leave or adoption leave provide up to 52 weeks leave. Members of the Reserved Forces and the Territorial Army are granted two weeks’ additional paid leave for attendance at summer camp. Retained Fire-fighters are granted paid leave to undertake their duties, subject to prior approval.
Health and wellbeing
We take the health of our employees seriously and, among other pro-active measures, have an Occupational Health Service whose work is centred on promoting well being, advising on reducing the impact of work on health, offering free information programmes to eligible staff, and providing a range of treatments. We also provide a free and confidential staff counselling service.
In addition to providing statutory sick pay, we offer occupational sick pay. This starts at one month at full pay and rises with each complete year of service up to six months at full pay and six months at half pay after five years’ service.
Trade Unions
The County Council believes that having positive relationships with recognised trade unions is an essential component of a successful organisation. Although you are under no obligation to be a member of a trade union, you are free to join any union of your choice. The Council recognises a number of trade unions and consults with them on a wide range of employment issues.
Relocation, removal and disturbance allowances
A scheme of allowances is available to provide financial assistance to an eligible employee, following approval by the Head of Service/Director, who needs to move home as a result of accepting an appointment. The scheme provides help towards removal expenses, legal fees, estate agents’ fees, disturbance expenses and additional accommodation costs. Please ask for further details.
Staff travel plan and car parking
The staff travel plan offers employees and visitors, improved transport choice and reduces the need to travel, helping reduce congestion, improve air quality and promote sustainable travel. Travel choices offered may include bus, train, bicycles, walking, motorcycles and car sharing, to reduce reliance on single occupancy car travel for commuter journeys and business travel
At County Hall Campus (including Wildwood and Countryside Centre), there are parking restrictions in terms of the number of spaces available to staff. However, there are designated parking spaces for car sharers, a short-stay area for staff only attending meetings and a visitors’ car park. Based on the parking restrictions and to support the Staff Travel Plan, all staff are encouraged to not bring their car to work one day out of four over Monday to Thursday (Friday is unaffected). On this day, staff can consider either changing their travel choice (as described above) or alternative working arrangements such as home-working or compressed working hours.
Equality & Diversity
The Council is committed to the fair treatment of its staff, potential staff or users of services regardless of race, gender, religion, sexual orientation, responsibilities for dependants, age, disability or offending background.
Employees can join the Black Colleagues Group or Disability Equality Group that provide advice and mutual support to their members, and meet every 4-6 weeks.
The groups also offer advice to the Council, channelled through individuals and management groups, which relates to many areas including the recruitment and retention of black employees or those with a disability, service development and policy issues.
