Allowances for work performed outside of standard working hours

1. On call and standby arrangements

Information on payments for staff who are contractually required to take part in an on call or standby rota or undertake on demand work

This allowance is applicable to all staff on grades 1-10.

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The University operates a single, central policy for the remuneration of all academic-related and support staff who are contractually required to take part in standby and call-out arrangements to provide business-critical services out of core service hours.

The policy applies to staff employed in grades 1 to 10 who are not in receipt of a variable hours allowance. Senior staff (staff in grades ALC6, RSIV or equivalent) are outside the scope of this policy.

The policy covers:

  • support staff taking part in a call-round rota (in which a member of staff may decline to attend the workplace when contacted and is not obliged to be available for every call);
  • academic-related and support staff taking part in an on-call rota (in which the member of staff must be available, must take the call, and respond accordingly); and
  • academic-related staff undertaking on-demand work (a ‘business-critical’ activity which is scheduled outside core service hours)

The University is committed to the promotion of work-life balance and the avoidance of a culture of long working hours. The arrangements for standby and call-out are therefore expected to be exceptional and are available only to those who deliver business-critical services.

Call-round rota

The following arrangements apply to support staff employed in grades 1 to 5 who are contractually required to participate in a call-round rota and subsequently may attend work out-of-hours.

Staff contractually required to participate in a call-round rota will receive a flat-rate superannuable annual allowance paid monthly. University HR will review the level of the allowance annually.

On-call rota

The following arrangements apply to staff who are contractually required to participate in an on-call rota and to attend work out-of-hours for cover outside core hours to provide ‘business-critical’ services.

  • Staff contractually required to participate in an on-call rota will receive a superannuable annual allowance, paid monthly.
  • The allowance for a rostered commitment to attend work out-of-hours is set at three levels (low, medium and high).
  • The minimum (low) allowance for a contractual requirement to be on rota and attend out-of-hours is a flat-rate payment, which will be reviewed annually by University HR.
  • High and medium allowances are a percentage of salary. This may be either an individual salary, or an average of the salaries of those individuals participating in the rota, or an average salary for the level of work required, as determined by the head of department. For support staff medium is 3% and high is 6% and for academic related staff medium is 6% and high is 9%
  • The criteria for determining the level of allowance take into account two factors: (i) the intensity of the rota, and (ii) the frequency of call-outs when rostered. The table below shows the relationship between these two criteria and the payment level triggered.
Total number of call-outs per annum for an individual member of staff Rota (days)
1 in 7 or more 1 in 4, 1 in 5 or 1 in 6 1 in 2 or 1 in 3
Up to 14 Low Low Medium
15 to 29 Medium Medium Medium
30 and over Medium High High

 

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The following arrangements apply to staff employed on grades 6 to 10 who are contractually required to undertake ‘business-critical’ work out of core hours ‘on-demand’.

  • By agreement with the head of department, staff contractually required to undertake ‘business-critical’ on-demand work will receive time off in lieu (TOIL) or an additional allowance.

 

The frequency of ‘on-demand’ work is determined as follows:
Low Up to 5 additional days a year (37.5 hours) 
Medium 6 to 15 additional days a year 
High More than 15 additional days a year 

 

  • The recompense for ‘on-demand’ work is determined on the criteria below. 

Frequency 

One of the following (where eligible) 

Either 

TOIL 

Or 

payment 

Low 

Yes 

Not eligible 

Medium 

Yes 

Yes 

High 

Yes 

Yes 

 

  • High and medium allowances are paid as a percentage of annual salary, which may be either an individual salary, or an average of the salaries of those individuals participating in the rota, or an average salary for the level of work required, as determined by the head of department. 

  • The payment is made in equal monthly amounts as a superannuable allowance. The bandings attract the following percentage additions to annual salary: Medium 6%, high 9% 

Broadband payment Staff are eligible for an additional non-superannuable payment of £280 per annum if broadband access is required from home 

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Examples of payments to support staff under on call and standby arrangements: 

Grade 

Midpoint of grade (including discretionary range) 

Level of allowance 

Low 

Medium 

High 

Fixed standby payment 

Standby payment of 3% 

Standby payment of 6% 

Per annum 

Per month 

Per annum 

Per month 

Per annum 

Per month 

£24,403 

£250 

£21 

£732 

£61 

£1,464 

£122 

£21,072 

£250 

£21 

£632 

£53 

£1,264 

£105 

£18,180 

£250 

£21 

£545 

£45 

£1,091 

£91 

£15,759 

£250 

£21 

£473 

£39 

£946 

£79 

£13,428 

£250 

£21 

£403 

£34 

£806 

£67 

 

Note 1: Salaries shown are as at 1 May 2008

Note 2: Staff would also receive payment for hours worked when called in, at the appropriate rate 

 

Examples of payments to academic-related staff under on call and standby arrangements: 

Grade 

Midpoint of grade (including discretionary range) 

Level of allowance 

Low 

Medium 

High 

Fixed standby payment 

Standby payment of 6% 

Standby payment of 9% 

Per annum 

Per month 

Per annum 

Per month 

Per annum 

Per month 

10 

£52,628 

£250 

£21 

£3,158 

£263 

£4,736 

£395 

£45,397 

£250 

£21 

£2,724 

£227 

£4,086 

£340 

£39,160 

£250 

£21 

£2,350 

£196 

£3,524 

£294 

£31,840 

£250 

£21 

£1,910 

£159 

£2,866 

£239 

£27,466 

£250 

£21 

£1,648 

£137 

£2,472 

£206 

 

Note 1: Salaries shown are as at 1 May 2008

Note 2: Staff would also receive payment for hours worked when called in, at the appropriate rate 

 

Examples of payments to academic-related staff under on call and standby arrangements: 

Grade 

Midpoint of grade (including discretionary range) 

Level of allowance 

Low 

Medium 

High 

Fixed standby payment 

Standby payment of 6% 

Standby payment of 9% 

Per annum 

Per month 

Per annum 

Per month 

Per annum 

Per month 

10 

£52,628 

£250 

£21 

£3,158 

£263 

£4,736 

£395 

£45,397 

£250 

£21 

£2,724 

£227 

£4,086 

£340 

£39,160 

£250 

£21 

£2,350 

£196 

£3,524 

£294 

£31,840 

£250 

£21 

£1,910 

£159 

£2,866 

£239 

£27,466 

£250 

£21 

£1,648 

£137 

£2,472 

£206 

 

Note 1: Salaries shown are as at 1 May 2008

Note 2: There is no further payment to staff who are subsequently called upon either to work from home or if called in to the workplace

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Departments should seek authorisation to make payments under this policy from the Reward team. The department should input the allowance into PeopleXD with the authorisation code in the relevant field for Payroll. 

Heads of department will determine whether or not a service is ‘business-critical’, and are responsible for ensuring the reasonable and equitable implementation of these arrangements, particularly with regard to the impact of the policy on male and female staff, those with caring responsibilities, and part-time staff. 

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University HR will review the fixed-rate payments annually. Percent premiums will be automatically uplifted but Departments need to take action where under the standby and call out policy payments have been calculated as an average of the salaries and set up as the allowance “standby and call out pay cash”. Departments should increase the value by the percentage uplift as applied to the University salary scales. 

The flat-rate payment and payment for requiring a broadband connection are not subject to pay uplifts, therefore no action should be taken. 

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2. Overtime

Information about overtime for support staff

This allowance is applicable to support staff only (grades 1-5). Academic-related staff are not eligible for overtime; however, members of the academic-related staff who are requested to work on Bank Holidays or fixed days of closure will be compensated by equivalent time-off in lieu.

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Full details about of overtime can be found in section 3.7.2 of the Handbook for Support Staff

Overtime is defined as time which, with the approval of the line manager, is worked in excess of the hours specified in the contract of employment.

(i) All staff employed in grades 1-5 are eligible for overtime.

(ii) Overtime can be taken either as time off in lieu (TOIL) or as paid hours. TOIL will be at single time, ie one hour off for every additional hour worked. However, if the number of hours worked in a month could result in pay dropping below national minimum wage, TOIL must be taken within the same pay reference period. If this is not possible then overtime should be paid.

(iii) Any additional qualifying hours worked up to 36.5 hours per week will be paid at plain time.

(iv) Where compensation for overtime is to be paid, additional qualifying hours worked over 36.5 per week will be paid in accordance with the following schedule:

  • the first 7.25 hours of overtime working (in excess of 36.5 hours): time and a half
  • any subsequent hours of overtime working (ie on completion of 43.75 hours): double time

(v) Overtime on public holidays (where an individual is not contractually obliged to work on public holidays) will be paid at double time.

(vi) Overtime worked regularly over a period of time should be included in holiday pay
 

Overtime is administered locally.

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No pay uplift action is required.

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3. Variable shift allowance

Information about payments for support staff working to a variable shift pattern

This allowance is applicable to support staff only (grades 1-5). 

 

A minority of staff are required to work to a variable pattern or changing shifts in order to respond to the needs of their departments. 

Staff employed in grades 1-5 who are required by their contracts of employment to work to a variable pattern or changing shifts are eligible for premium payments, the size of payment being determined by the extent to which their working patterns vary: 

  1. You must consult your the Reward team if you wish to review or establish such a premium payment system. 

  1. The minimum number of shifts which qualify for the premium is 3 in any week. 

  1. The premium will take the form of a percentage addition to the basic hourly rate calculated according to the number of shifts over which the staff employee’s working pattern may vary. 

  1. The percentage premium addition to the hourly rate for the relevant grade will be determined by University HR in accordance with the table below: 

 

Percentage premimum table

Number of flexible shifts 

Percentage premium to hourly rate 

10 

11 

10 

13 

11 

15 

12 

16 

13 

18 

14 

20 

15 

21 

16 

23 

17 

25 

18 

27 

19 

29 

20 

31 

21 

33 

 

Example 1 - Staff working full rotating day and night shifts, eg university patrol staff. 

Staff are required to work any shift throughout the week according to a changing roster. 

The premium payment is 33%. 

 

Example 1

  

  

Days 

  

  

Times of the week when staff may be rostered to work 

Shift 1 

Shift 2 

Shift 3 

 

Example 2 - Staff required to work variable shift including weekends, eg some staff in the museum service. 

The premium payment for variable working across 12 shifts is 16%. 

 

Example 2

  

  

Days 

  

  

Times of the week when staff may be rostered to work 

Shift 1 

  

Shift 2 

  

  

  

  

  

  

  

  

  

 

 

 

This scheme requires authorisation by the Reward Team. Once agreed, departments should input the allowance into PeopleXD with the payroll authorisation code in the relevant field.  

 

Cost of living uplifts are automatically applied to the variable shift allowance.