Rewards package

The standard hours for staff appointed to Agenda for Change (AfC) posts is 37 hours per week. Part-time staff will be paid pro rata based on 37 hours.

NHS Scotland reduced their full-time working week from 37.5 to 37 hours per week from 1 April 2024 but with no change in pay. This reduction also applies pro rata for part time staff. While this is still being implemented, you may be required to work up to an additional 30 minutes per week for a temporary period for which you would be paid until the service you are working in changes rosters or working patterns to accommodate the new reduced working week.  If you have any questions or concerns, please contact the Recruiting Board.

Most of our staff will be expected to provide round the clock services. They’ll be issued with a rota that meets the organisational needs. Posts categorised as office services will normally cover 9am to 5pm, Monday to Thursday and 9am to 4.30pm on Friday.

Requests to change working patterns can be made under the flexible working policies. This aims to support work-life balance.

Overtime is defined as hours worked over the standard full-time working week of 37.5 hours. Working hours are averaged across an individual’s rota period, before establishing if overtime is payable.

Additional hours are defined as hours worked above a part-time employee’s contracted hours, but not over the 37.5 hours of a full-time staff member. These are also referred to as excess hours.

Staff should be discouraged from working overtime hours on a regular basis. Controls are in place regarding working additional or extra hours. This ensures that all staff remain compliant with the working time regulations.

Managers should only authorise overtime or additional hours where they’re sure that the workload cannot be accommodated within normal hours.

Where overtime or additional hours are found to be necessary then it must be:

• pre-authorised in advance by a senior manager
• agreed with staff whether they wish to be paid for the overtime or request that this is taken as time off in lieu (TOIL)

Where overtime is approved, and TOIL is not requested, it will be paid at time and a half. This does not include overtime worked on a Public Holiday (PH) which will be paid at double time.

All overtime or additional hours are paid the month after the month in which they are worked.

NHS staff are required to work to cover services in the evening, at night, over weekends and on public holidays. For these, they will receive unsocial hours payments.

Staff will receive the following enhancements, for all hours worked.

All enhanced payments are paid the month after the month in which they are worked.

Staff will be placed on the appropriate point of the salary scale when they’re appointed. This is determined by their previous employment with the NHS and other employers. Placement will be in line with the guidance provided in the AfC handbook.

Incremental progression to the top of the salary scale for your post will normally occur on the anniversary of the start date for your current band.

The Scottish Government will review the salary scales annually. These are normally implemented each April.

All contracted NHS 24 staff are paid monthly, on the last Thursday of each month. This may move in December depending on when Christmas day falls.

NHS 24 workers who hold a bank position are paid weekly, on a Thursday

Occupational sick pay entitlement will be calculated based on the individual’s length of service. It’ll be assessed on the first day of each absence.

All sickness episodes are remunerated as if the staff member had been at work. Therefore, they’ll receive all payments in respect of working round the clock.

A relocation package of up to £8,000 is available for newly appointed staff. This is available if they move to take up position on a Band 5 or above.

Staff may be entitled to relocation expended if they:

• have relocated to live with a reasonable commute to their new workplace, and
• their new address is significantly closer than their previous address

The relocation expenses will become repayable if the staff member leaves NHS 24 employment within 24 months of taking up the post. Repayment is on a pro-rate basis. It’ll be a sliding amount depending on the completed months of NHS 24 employment.

Staff will be entitled to claim out of pocket expenses if they need to travel as part of their role.

All NHS health boards are defined as separate employers. When considering continuous employment, breaks in service between boards will have different implications. This will depend on what provision is being considered.

Time spent working in a bank capacity is not considered as service. Therefore, it’ll not count as service.

Annual leave (AL)

All verified NHS service, regardless of all breaks, will be considered as reckonable service. This will count towards AL service entitlements.

Joining staff will also be credited with AL service if they had a contractual position undertaking a similar role. This is if it was with any of the following employers:

• TUPE
• Armed Forces
• Scottish Prison Service
• Scottish Ambulance Service
• voluntary or third sector providing health care like Maggie’s or Macmillan
• hospices
• overseas not for profit health care
• GP or dental practice
• local government
• Care Inspectorate/Commission
• Scottish Social Services Council

Sick leave entitlement

All verified contractual NHS service will be considered as reckonable service if there’s been a break of less than 12 months. This’ll count towards sick leave entitlements. No other employments are considered.

A service break of less than 3 calendar months in verified NHS service will be recognised for salary placement purposes. This is if it’s at the same band or higher than the joining band.

The same principals will apply for staff joining NHS 24 who have previously worked with a UK GP or dental practice.

All other employment can only be considered if the recruitment manager presents a case. However, the maximin credit given in these circumstances is 1 years’ service credit.

Staff must work with NHS 24 for 104 weeks before they could be eligible for redundancy payment.

Once they have reached 104 weeks of NHS 24 service without a break of more than 7 days, this will be counted as service for redundancy purposes.

NHS Scotland’s stance is that no staff member will go through compulsory redundancy. If staff are in a post that’s been identified as redundant, they’ll be offered an alternative post. They’ll receive salary protection in perpetuity.

The annual leave (AL) year runs from 1 April to 31 March. AL is calculated based on 3 elements which are:

• AL service
• staff members contracted hours
• the number of days in the calculation period

Entitlements for Complete Year

AL is normally taken as a whole, or half a working day. However, AL is converted to hours, rather than in days. This ensures equity across all contractual hours and working patterns. Contracted hours are multiplied by the weeks entitlement to establish the AL hours for the year. It’s a pro rata calculation to establish hours due for a part year. For example, a full years entitlement is divided by 365, multiplied by the number of days in the calculation period. Staff are encouraged to use all their AL each year. This ensures that they have enough rest and recuperation. Only in exceptional circumstances can contracted hours be carried forward. This is subject to manager’s discretion and operational requirements. A maximum of 1 week AL can be carried over.

Within NHS 24 the public holidays (PH) hours are added to the annual leave entitlements. These hours can then be taken on the PH or at an alternative time throughout the leave year.

There are normally 8 public holidays each year. These will be designated in advance. They normally include the following:

• first 2 working days of the new year
• Easter Friday and Monday
• first and last Monday in May
• Christmas Day, or next working day
• Boxing Day, or next working day

The PH allocation can vary, from 6 to 10 PH days. This is dependent on whether Easter falls in March or April

PH hours are calculated based on the number of PH that fall within the calculation period. They’re rounded up to the nearest half day.

To aid the calculation of AL and PH entitlements there is an online tool.

NHS has many policies that enhance the statutory provisions. These may allow an employee to extra paid and/or unpaid leave. These include:

• maternity policy
• parental leave
• special leave – includes paternity and adoption, carer’s, compassionate and dependants leave

NHS 24 has agreed that a home or hybrid working model is available where the staff member has:

• requested a desire for it
• a post that allows it

The minimum notice period for NHS 24 employees are as follows:

• temporary employees (all bands) – 1 week on either side
• permanent employees (bands 1 to 7) – 1 month
• senior and corporate strategic roles – 3 months, which will be detailed in the contract of employment

Employees are automatically enrolled into the NHS pension scheme. The scheme is administered by the Scottish Public Pensions Agency (SPPA).

Contributions are calculated on a tiered basis using full-time equivalent pensionable pay as of 31 March of each year. The table used to calculate contributions is available from the SPPA website.

Read more about the pension scheme

We will treat all workers and job applicants with dignity and respect. We recognise the value of each individual and embrace the values of diversity.

Equality and diversity are not about treating everyone the same. It’s about acknowledging and respecting differences. It’s about changing the way we work if necessary.

We have responsibility to comply with legislation designed to protect people’s rights.

As a public sector organisation, we have more obligations under the Equality Act (2010) (Specific Duties) (Scotland) Regulations 2012. These are to:

• report progress on mainstreaming the equality duty
• publish equality outcomes and report progress
• assess and review policies and practices
• gather and use employee information
• publish gender pay gap information
• publish statements on equal pay and occupational segregation
• consider award criteria and conditions in relation to public procurement
• publish equality impact assessments and demonstrate monitoring of impacts
• publish in a manner that is accessible

A wide range of supportive policies and procedures are in place at NHS 24. This includes policies and procedures linked to:

• disciplinary
• grievance
• dignity at work
• secondments
• business travel and subsistence
• salary protection
• risk assessment
• display screen equipment
• stress management

NHS 24 is committed to investing in employee’s personal development. All staff will receive protected development time.

NHS 24 is committed to partnership working. It supports the deduction of trade union membership dues from salary.

A partnership agreement has been agreed and adopted. This sets out the framework for consultation and negotiation.

An employee assistance programme is available to all employees. This provides support though a comprehensive, confidential counselling and information service.

NHS staff can access blue light card discounts and other discounts.