Local Council Jobs - Starting Salary

StaffieTerrier

sangie595 wrote: »

What line management allowance? If this exists at all, it's a very localised thing. I've never heard of it in over 30 years of working with councils. So, far from everyone doing it, I don't know anyone who does it.

We have a responsibility allowance but it's only temporary. It's used for someone to take on extra duties while either someone extra is recruited or the person with the allowance goes through a regrading process. It can be claimed for a maximum of 12 months.

I had it for 6 months last year when my line manager left, while they decided how they were going to replace him.

sangie595

Yes, but an allowance for temporary duties (which is part of national conditions) isn't going to be given to someone starting a job which is what jsm suggested. Interestingly as well, we are in the process of negotiating reductions in these. In some areas they are now very rare. For good reason. They are intended to be temporary to cover specific business requirements whilst permanant solutions, such as recruitment, are put in place. What has actually been happening had been that people have ended up on them for years! Sometimes so that the employer doesn't have to pay out the rate for the job, sometimes through inaction, and sometimes so that they can promote someone without actually having a recruitment process. So in many places we now have a maximum period they are allowed for, and can only be authorised with a business case. Our view is that if a position is available people should have the chance to compete for it.

Fireflyaway

I have worked for 2 councils, district and county. Both had a policy to pay whatever the bottom of the band was, no matter what the person's experience of previous salary. However subject to satisfactory performance there was an incremental increase annually on top of any cost of living allowance. Not many companies will give you 2 pay rises a year.
I recently left a job ( with a council actually!) that paid 10k a year more than I'm on now. Best decision I could have made. Sure the old job paid well but I was miserable. I'm now happy to go to work. I sleep well, I'm motivated and life is good. So long as you can pay your bills go for it! Happiness is important. Your salary will probably go up in time anyway.

TELLIT01

sangie595 wrote: »

Yes, but an allowance for temporary duties ....
They are intended to be temporary to cover specific business requirements whilst permanant solutions, such as recruitment, are put in place.

That certainly wasn't the only way TDA was used where I worked in DWP. It was used to cover holiday or sickness absence as well. As I mentioned in the previous post, they tried to limit it to situations where higher grade work was being covered for a week or more but quickly discovered that nobody would take on the added responsibilities without being paid. The responsibility then fell on the manager of the absent individual, many of whom didn't have any idea how to do the job.