NHS Pay Bands

Tom161992

Morning All,

Wondering if anyone can please help with a query.

My partner and I have recently relocated within England and therefore have new jobs. My partner works in the NHS and the new job is 1 band lower than she was on. The understanding was that in the NHS when you move to a lower band, you get the salary associated with the top end of that band.

That isn't the case and she's been placed at the bottom.

Is anyone able to confirm this? I have found a couple of random statements online, but nothing firm that she can use to challenge HR.

Thanks,

Tom

ToxicWomble

Never heard of that happening IF the person is doing the exact same role/job title.
I guess the individual trusts could have job matched/banded differently when AFC was introduced- but the whole point was to try and achieve clarity across the system.
Might be one to query with Payroll/HR/Union rep

Hasbeen

Perhaps voluntarily moving to a new job in a different health trust/board would mean starting at the bottom band?
Did she not know the pay offered when she applied?
I would not "challenge" HR on this, perhaps her asking for clarification on pay scale, would provide answer?

Manxman_in_exile

I'm a bit surprised that she's at the bottom of the band - although I wouldn't necessarily expect her to be placed at the top either if there's an overlap.  I can't see any problem at all with her asking her departmental manager and/or HR for clarification on this - it won't mark her out as "difficult" or anything unless she makes a pig's ear out of the question.  What she should be doing, as a NHS employee of course, is asking her union for guidance...

As others have asked, why on earth didn't she confirm the precise point she would be starting on before accepting the job?  That's really important if moving down a band.

Remember too that foundation trusts are almost independent entities and there isn't really a "single" NHS entity in this sense - they can all have different policies.  There are also all manner of factors - sometimes seemingly irrelevant - that can result in apparently similar jobs being banded differently between trusts.  When AfC was introduced my job was evalued at a higher grade than "the same job" in neighbouring trusts.

orchid2010

I would definitely contact recruitment/HR and ask sometimes the paperwork sent to payroll does not reflect what has been agreed.

Savvy_Sue

orchid2010 said:

I would definitely contact recruitment/HR and ask sometimes the paperwork sent to payroll does not reflect what has been agreed.

That is assuming the salary was agreed, rather than the OP's partner assuming they'd be on the top of the new band rather than at the bottom. 

So if the OP's partner shared their understanding with the new trust, and the new trust agreed that that's what usually happens, there's a discussion to be had. 

Manxman_in_exile

And of course, what the OP's partner "thinks" was agreed may not be in accordance with the trust's policy for new joiners.

Seen that happen.  Lots of fallout!

t0rt0ise

I've had it happen both ways. I moved Trusts to a lower band job and was put on bottom rung. Then a year later moved to another Trust where HR woman said she thought it was ridiculous so put me at the top of the band. It seems that they can do what they like.