Can I take a break between NHS jobs in same trust?

jules1010

Hi everyone, newbie here although I've been lurking a while! *waves* Nice to meet you and thanks for everything i've learnt from lurking!

Please help if you can, I'd be really grateful as I have to make a quick decision on this.

I currently work for a NHS trust but on a training contract (fulltime and paid) which ends 25.9.09. I was offered another job in the same trust this week, and they want me to start asap. I have to finish the first contract in order to get my qualification, and I was hoping to take 3 weeks in between jobs, therefore starting the second job on 19.10.09.

So it would be like this:
End current contract 25.9.09
3 weeks holiday woohoo!
start new contract 19.10.09

The manager of the new job says that this might be a problem for continuity of service and pensions etc, but she was rather vague on the details. Does anyone know about this please?

HR and payroll couldn't give an answer, each telling me to phone the other!

Please help me, I have to give an answer really soon as they are desperate for someone to take the job for various reasons.

Thanks!

SomeBozo

You can have a break of service of up to 6 months and still retain your Agenda For Change spine point and annual leave entitlement.

Your pension is irrelavant unless you plan to retire in the next 5 years, when you work again your contributions will just back into your pension pot.

Continuity of service will be effected as you are having a break but I cant think of anything major.

PS it is a HR issue, not a payroll issue.

Bozo

jules1010

Thanks somebozo, that's what I thought as well about the 6 months. I think the manager just wants me to start the job, so is trying to put me off taking the time off.

I phoned HR first, they said I needed to speak to payroll, who were more helpful than HR but still didn't know!

Thanks so much for your detailed response.

Savvy_Sue

Do you have any paid holiday entitlement that you could take at the end of your current contract?

LondonDiva

You do need to check what the time limit is re the pension as that recently chganged & I don't know if it's dropped to 3 months gap in service - best get it checked & confirmed in writing / email.

getmore4less

I think you will lose continuity, there are some cases where you don't with the NHS but it is complicated.

Pension scheme will require looking it up a lot has changed over the last few years and may depend on which scheme you started in have a dig around

http://www.nhsbsa.nhs.uk/Overview.aspx

you can leave and rejoin anyway.


One option to give continued employment is use holiday to cover the continuity, the new boss may be happy for you to use up some vacation time now so you have less later.

sharkie

If you start to earn over £32k? (the 40% bracket) and you can live without that extra money, see your pensions manager and by some extra pension as the govenment will give you 40% back

Really important if you are retiring soon and have savings that can last a few years.
Really important if you do not want to give the government their 40%

getmore4less

sharkie wrote: »

If you start to earn over £32k? (the 40% bracket) and you can live without that extra money, see your pensions manager and by some extra pension as the govenment will give you 40% back

Really important if you are retiring soon and have savings that can last a few years.
Really important if you do not want to give the government their 40%

A little out of date, 2009/2010

40% tax starts at £43,875 (£6,475+£37,400)

http://www.hmrc.gov.uk/rates/it.htm


Pension is not always the best place for surplus money especialy if your pension will hit the age allowances later in life.

zzzLazyDaisy

If your current employment is terminated, and there is a break in employment of one week, including two saturdays, before you return to work for the employer, then this is sufficient to break continuity of service (unless your employer agrees to give you unpaid leave, without terminating your employment, in which case your continuity of service would be protected).

The importance of this is that when you return to work, you will have little employment protection until you have worked for the employer for one year.

Depending on how secure you think the job is, this may or may not matter to you.

sharkie

getmore4less wrote: »

A little out of date, 2009/2010

40% tax starts at £43,875 (£6,475+£37,400)

http://www.hmrc.gov.uk/rates/it.htm


Pension is not always the best place for surplus money especialy if your pension will hit the age allowances later in life.

Thanks for that £43k8 ! So what do you do o wise one? I put mine into a second property but that was because a got a splurge of cash (loads of overtime)

getmore4less

sharkie wrote: »

Thanks for that £43k8 ! So what do you do o wise one? I put mine into a second property but that was because a got a splurge of cash (loads of overtime)

I do not think this will be relevent for this thread,
OP is NHS, was a recent student probably not HRT yet.


Back to the OP, Long term the more continuous years you have the better any termination deal will be so trying to keep the continuity can be worth while.
NHS is one sector where changing jobs a lot still does not create breaks.