temporary responsibility allowance

eefordham

Hi everyone

I work in the public sector and since the beginning of August I've been covering as a manager and receiving temporary responsibility allowance (TRA). This was due to the previous manager getting a promotion. The permanent job wasn't advertised so I couldn't apply but they gave it to someone who had applied on a previous recruitment campaign and was on a 'merit list'.

The new manager has started this week and I have been training her, all the while assuming that while I'm training her I will still be on the TRA. I suggested I would need a least a month to train her properly on everything. I was told by my manager this week that the TRA finishes this week and I will go back to my lower grade next week. I haven't even begun to show her half of what she needs to know to do the job, is it right that I should go back to my old pay band yet still be expected to train the new manager? Effectively I will still be carrying on doing the role, and doing my daily tasks which she doesn't know how to do yet, until she is confident enough to take over.

I have read the civil service policy and it states you should be paid 5% TRA if you are undertaking duties extra to your pay band. I haven't been offered anything, just told it's coming to and end.

any advice greatly appreciated

badskindollheart

In my dept we would continue to pay TRA until any handover/training was complete, although a month seems quite a long time - I would tend to expect a week (unless you work in some highly specialized area) as presumably you will be on hand to answer any ad hoc questions as they come up?

You are not obliged to do the training, as it is over and above the duties at your normal grade. If you were unable to handover I would expect the next grade up to providing training.

Given how !!!! the rate of TRA is, I personally wouldn't bother.

One final thought, in our dept once TRA has been given for three months continuously it automatically changes to Temporary Promotion - worth checking this out, as TP is worth a lot more. Why don't you speak to PCS?

FBaby

Surely it becomes her problem? You have a job to go back to and it's been decided that she now needs to fill in the position. It is up to her to train herself at this stage with some normally expected support from colleagues.

I-W

Looks like you have anyway been ****ed over, being passed over for an promotion for a role you are already doing without even an opportunity to interview for it.

It's not her fault, but I'd just say to her sorry but you've been informed you extra pay is ending so you will be returning to you previously role. Either they will suddenly decide actually they do need you to train her longer and pay up or she'll screw up the role and next time they might consider you for the position given your previous success at it.

eefordham

Thanks for all your replies. They've told me they're going to extend it to the end of this week. The job is quite specialist - it's in the complaints dept. We have our own bespoke complaints database which the staff use to complete work and which I use to run reports/look at trends etc. Apart from me, there's only one other person who can use the management side of it - the one I took over from who's now been promoted so doubt she will come back to train.

Not sure I can train her competently in how to use it in a week (plus she's off on Friday so its actually only 4 days) but we will see. I'm happy to support her but worry I will end up doing a lot of the work for the next few weeks until she's up to speed. Feel like I have been put in a bit of an awkward position really. Well from next week, if I end up carrying on with managerial duties I will be going back and asking to be put back on TRA again!