Can they do this - make employees say who has to leave

unforeseen

Yes, take redeployment or move to a different council

ohreally

JohnAndrew wrote: »

I don't think it is fair and reasonable to expect us to sort this out by ourselves - do you?

Have unions been informed/ invited to the table? What are they saying?

Blatchford

JohnAndrew wrote: »

I work for a local authority in Scotland. They are going through some radical changes to the Service I work in.

I am in a team of 3 - and our manhours total 34 - they want to reduce to a total of 15 hours.

We have been given the statutory amount of time as the consultation and decisions have to be made by 31st December. The changes will take place in April next year.

No redundancy - either voluntary or compulsory, they have said that our team has to decide how we want to split the hours. Our current contracts are 14 hours x 2 employees and 1 x 6hrs.

Is this a normal thing now to ask the employees how we want to share the hours?

They've also offered redeployment either in the same service or, failing that, in another Council job.

myself and one other colleague - 14 hours each - reach State pension age in early 2021. The other colleague has reached SPA and is claiming.

I don't think it is fair and reasonable to expect us to sort this out by ourselves - do you?

I don't think they actually said what you think they said! I'm sure that's what you think you heard, but what your are describing is actually perfectly normal! I'm struggling to see why others think it isn't. You are in a consultation period. They have no intention of making anyone redundant, and they've made it clear that there will be other roles available if you want them. So they are consulting you, to as they are required to do - they are asking you what you would like to see happen, and how you think it should happen. They are asking you to consider the various options, which might include sharing the hours, dropping hours, or taking a redeployment. That's not only normal, it is what they are supposed to do!

The alternative is that they tell you what will happen, exactly how it will happen, and enforce it against your wills. You are certainly entitled to refuse to engage, and then that is exactly what they will have to do.

Which is your preferred option? You consult like adults and try to find something everyone is happy with, or be told what you will do whether you like it or not?

hyubh

JohnAndrew wrote: »

we wanted to wait for SPA to get the maximum pension amount

More exactly, drawing your LGPS pension at SPA will mean there won't be an actuarial reduction on your CARE benefits. If you stayed on after SPA, you'd still be earning additional CARE pension.

Also, it is a final salary pension and that will be cut considerably if we cut our hours.

No it won't - final pay for pension purposes is whole-time equivalent. Since you aren't accruing any more reckonable years under the final salary scheme (rather, anything since April 2015 is CARE), a drop of hours will have zero effect on the final salary part of your pension.

By the way - remember it's only your CARE pension that has a normal pension age of SPA. Have you been long enough in the scheme to benefit from the 85 year rule...?

Alter_ego

hyubh wrote: »

Have you been long enough in the scheme to benefit from the 85 year rule...?

Blimey they'd be gettin on by now.

Andy_L

JohnAndrew wrote: »

No, that's the point - we wanted to wait for SPA to get the maximum pension amount. Also, it is a final salary pension and that will be cut considerably if we cut our hours.

No it won't. The final salary used is the full time salary, you just accrue year of service at a lower rate by reducing hours

hyubh

Alter_ego wrote: »

Blimey they'd be gettin on by now.

Not sure what you're implying here... I was referring to this:

https://www.scotlgps2015.org/ruleof85

Depending on a few variables, it might be worth the OP considering retirement.

Brynsam

JohnAndrew wrote: »

Is this a normal thing now to ask the employees how we want to share the hours?

They've also offered redeployment either in the same service or, failing that, in another Council job.

myself and one other colleague - 14 hours each - reach State pension age in early 2021. The other colleague has reached SPA and is claiming.

I don't think it is fair and reasonable to expect us to sort this out by ourselves - do you?

You aren't being 'expected to sort this out by (y)ourselves' - you are being consulted, and with plenty of options. Why the whining?

JohnAndrew

[QUOTE

By the way - remember it's only your CARE pension that has a normal pension age of SPA. Have you been long enough in the scheme to benefit from the 85 year rule...?[/QUOTE]

yes, one of my colleagues would benefit - I won't unfortunately.

And only one of the three of us has reached SPA.

JohnAndrew

Brynsam wrote: »

You aren't being 'expected to sort this out by (y)ourselves' - you are being consulted, and with plenty of options. Why the whining?

OOh, Brynsam - I'm not whining - just asking advice. Why the nastiness? most others are answering in a kind manner.
Love and Peace to you....