Local Government Payscale increments

Strapped

Can anyone explain to me how these work please?

Are these annual increments ie you move up one "spine point" each year? WHEN (which month) does this happen? When you first start, do you get an increment after 6 months, when you finish your probation period?

And the most important one: is it possible, as an experienced hire, to start on a pay spine point higher than the bottom point for a particular grade of job? Has anyone managed this?

I have been offered a job which was advertised with a fairly wide pay scale. I meet all the "desirable" skill specifications as well as all the "essential" ones and have years and years of experience - yet they expect me to start at the bottom of the scale. Hmmmm.

Sagaris

Well, in my council, you are always started on the lowest grade/spinal point - I think that seems to be general policy in all councils. You could try to negotiate a higher starting point, but from what I've seen you would be most unlikely to get it.

We don't get an increment after completing the 6 months probationary period, and the increments are awarded every April.

Welcome to Local Government!

Strapped

Thanks - they're going to get back to me tomorrow. I've never worked anywhere which didn't involve negotiating my own personal contract before, so it's a whole new experience lol. (Not to mention a step down in salary But I am hoping the flexible working benefits will outweigh the £££s).

Strapped

Just to update - the outcome in my case has been that I will (unfortunately) start on the lowest pay point next month, but with an increment after 6 months (end of "probation") and another increment 6 months after that (Apr 09). So can't complain too much - reasonably happy with this compromise.

kj*daisy

Strapped wrote: »

Thanks - they're going to get back to me tomorrow. I've never worked anywhere which didn't involve negotiating my own personal contract before, so it's a whole new experience lol. (Not to mention a step down in salary But I am hoping the flexible working benefits will outweigh the £££s).

I wouldn't accept less that what you are already being paid if you can possibly help it.

darich

kj*daisy wrote: »

I wouldn't accept less that what you are already being paid if you can possibly help it.

As the OP has said, the flexibility and other benefits will hopefully outwiegh the drop in salary.
Local government often offer

• flexi time
• flexible working scheme (different from above)
• good annual leave entitlement
• 35 or 37 hour working week - less than many private companies.
• final salary pension
• being able to join a union.

A single parent may be better off by taking a pay cut if they can use the flexible working scheme and pay less for child care.
Less salary = more money.

aah

Conditions aren't that great contrary to popular belief. The private sector is often better. This is a result of local government trying to be like the private sector.

Pay rises in recent years have been frugal and are likely to get worse.

Pension is good, if you earn a lot, and can get a lot of years in. It is changing though and should be slightly better although for many it will cost more.

Unlike other public sector schemes the retirement date is 65. This is little publicised.

You should always be able to negotiate your starting pay within a scale, salaries tend to be costed on highest point, so while you accumulate increments the employer is saving.

Everyone has the opportunity to join a union, and should. Even if they are not in local government.

Starting salary is usually on a point of your scale, with first increment 6 months from joining date (if you start between October 31 and April 1); or on 1 April if you start earlier in the year. Subsequent increments are the following 1 April.

sundin13

I'm not so sure about the leave entitlement being anything special. I stepped down from 33 days to 20 when I started in Local Govt.....albeit with two extra bizarre double bank holidays, which I've never quite understood!

S13

Strapped

darich wrote: »

As the OP has said, the flexibility and other benefits will hopefully outwiegh the drop in salary.
Local government often offer

• flexi time
• flexible working scheme (different from above)
• good annual leave entitlement
• 35 or 37 hour working week - less than many private companies.
• final salary pension
• being able to join a union.

A single parent may be better off by taking a pay cut if they can use the flexible working scheme and pay less for child care.
Less salary = more money.

The main attraction for me is that it's 0.8FTE - which I can work as school hours 3 days a week in the office and 2 days a week from home - so can pick my son up from school every day. Also, it's a perm post, and for the last few years I have been working as a contractor (and in fact, just turned down another contract to take this job). The pension's better than my current arrangements too. Here's to a bit of stability for a while :beer:

Remind me I said this when I moan about the salary in a few months' time :rotfl:

hobo28

Ok, the salary might be worse but from the sounds of things it fits your lifestyle much better and there's a lot to be said for quality of life.

Plus the final salary pension is a big bonus as is the stability of employment. A council is a lot less likely to make people redundant than the private sector.