APPENDIX 3
SOAS Recognition and Reward Procedures
1. Introduction
The purpose of this procedure is to set out how the process of awarding contribution increments, accelerated scale increments and one-off or non consolidated payments (honoraria) will work within the school.
The first contribution round will not be fully embedded within the school until August 2009.
The aim of this process is to provide a coherent and practical approach to both recurrent and one-off or non consolidated payments made to staff in order to reward individual contribution within their role, and to ensure transparency, fairness and equality to all staff.
To increase transparency and consistency there is one scheme for all staff covered by the single pay spine which encompasses all recurrent and all one-off or non consolidated payments to reward members of staff who significantly and consistently exceed the normal expectation of their role.
To ensure maximum opportunity for staff to be recognised, the award of contribution increments, accelerated scale increments and one-off or non consolidated payments will be considered following self-application or management recommendation.
2. Equal Opportunities
The procedures outlined here should be carried out with due regard to any diversity issues which may have affected either the original situation or the current process. The School’s Diversity Adviser and diversity specialists within the Human Resources Department are available to support colleagues in this area. Where a diversity issue (e.g. a disability including chronic physical or mental health conditions) has been disclosed to the School, whether prior to the situation which triggered this process or during the process, the line manager co-ordinating the process is responsible for checking with the employee to determine their needs and for making the appropriate arrangements. Employees who have not previously disclosed a diversity issue which may be relevant to this process are encouraged to do so, as early as possible, so that it can be taken into account.
3. Principles
The procedure is based upon the following principles:
· All staff should be rewarded fairly according to their sustained contribution, including the application of new skills and of expertise developed over time in the job.
· A summary of appraisal could be used in support of an application for reward. It is recognised that the introduction of a new appraisal scheme will require Heads of Departments/ managers and staff to be fully trained in its use.
· Assessment of objectives / performance standards achieved should be clearly related to Departmental/ Section objectives, recognise achievements and reward competencies and activities likely to contribute to future success of the school.
· Objectives / performance standards must be applied fairly and consistently.
· Judgements should be demonstrably based on objective evidence and, where appropriate, recognise initiative, leadership and/or contribution to teamwork.
· Arrangements for access to contribution points should be fully communicated to staff in a way that makes clear how it operates and the part that they and their managers play in it.
4. The Reward and Re-grading Sub-committee
(a) For Support staff, all recommendations for contribution increments, accelerated scale increments or one-off or non consolidated payments will be considered by the Reward and Re-grading Sub-committee, which is a Sub-committee of Human Resources Committee. Membership of the Reward and Re-grading Sub-committee is as follows:
Registrar and Secretary (Convener)
Pro-Director or Vice Principal
1 (or up to 2) x Head of Admin
Director of Human Resources
Clerk (one of Human Resources Manager)
(b) The Sub-committee will monitor and review the operations of the Recognition and Reward Procedure on an annual basis. Any changes to the procedures or its operation will be fully consulted on with the appropriate trade unions.
(c) The Reward and Re-grading Sub-committee will consider each application based on the agreed criteria before making a decision on each case. A decision will be reached in each case on the basis of the evidence submitted against the criteria. The Sub-committee will assume that account will have been taken of the affordability of each case in relation to existing budgets which will therefore not affect the decision taken.
(d) The Department of Human Resources, on behalf of the Sub-committee, will communicate the outcome directly to all applicants, and to the relevant Head of Department.
(e) The Sub-committee will report annually to HR Committee and a report on the results of the process broken down by ethnic origin, disability and gender will be passed to Equality Committee to be reviewed at its next schedule meeting.
f) In addition to consideration of the rewards and re-grades for Support staff, this Committee currently also considers rewards and re-grades for IFCELS teaching staff. Although this needs to be reviewed (see section 5 below), until alternative arrangements have been agreed, the Committee will continue to cover IFCELS Teaching Staff.
5. The Faculty Promotion Committees
(a) For Academic staff (Teaching & Research), it is the Faculty Promotion Committees that take on the role of the Reward and Re-grading Sub-committee. As well as making recommendations to the School Promotion Committee in respect of Academic promotions, the FPCs also consider the award of accelerated scale increments and contribution points.
(b) It is proposed that cases from Language Teachers in the Language Centre will go to the FPC for Languages & Cultures.
(c) Arrangements for IFCELS Teaching staff are yet to be agreed, but in principle it has been agreed that they should be considered under one of the FPC’s or that they should have a separate committee of their own to consider rewards and re-grades. In the meantime, it is intended that they should continue to be dealt with under the existing Rewards and Re-grades procedures.
(d) It is important that the criteria used by the FPCs in determining awards are consistent and therefore they will be subject to common guidelines provided from time to time by HR. Responsibility for ensuring compliance with the criteria (examples of relevant criteria are listed below) will rest with the Dean/Chair of FPC.
6. Criteria
Recognition payments should relate to the staff member and how s/he carries out their role and not to the role itself. In order to assist the Reward and Re-grading Sub-committee/ FPC in the interpretation of the relevant criteria, supporting statements by the Head of Department/ Section should reflect their own clearly identified strategic objectives and indicate clearly how the performance of the relevant member of staff contributed in achieving these. Clear guidance should be made available to both staff and Reward and Re-grading Sub-committee/ FPC outlining where a contribution increment, an accelerated scale increment or a one-off or non-consolidated payment would be appropriate.
Examples of Relevant Criteria
Teaching & Learning excellence; Academic leadership; Entrepreneurial and Enterprise Related Activities; Research excellence; People Management; Budget Management; Services Delivery / Customer Care; Achievement of Objectives / Performance Standards; Continuous Professional Development; Promoting Widening Participation; Representation on External Bodies; Technical Skills; Team and Project Leadership / Participation; Educational Management and Administration Planning; Any other relevant objectives / performance standards agreed between post holders and relevant Head of Departments.
The award of contribution increments and accelerated scale increments should be used to recognise an individual’s application of accelerated knowledge, skills and/or behaviours which increase their contribution towards School, Faculty and Departmental objectives, over and above the normal expectations of the role for a sustained period (normally more than one year) or where the requirement is clearly on-going.
One-off or non-consolidated payments should be used to recognise an individual’s contribution towards School, Faculty and Departmental objectives, significantly over and above the normal expectation for the role, but which is not necessarily an ongoing requirement.
There is normally a one year qualifying period for all types of payment by the date of submission of the application i.e. you should have been in post for one year by the time you submit your application.
Other mechanisms such as the Market Supplement Policy and re-grading/promotion procedures are available to cover market pay issues or permanent changes to roles.
6.1 Contribution Increments
These may be awarded where a staff member:
· is consistently demonstrating exceptional performance i.e. over and above the normal expectation for someone who is fully developed in that role but where this is not enough to justify a re-grading;
· is consistently providing sustained, outstanding services to the Department or Section, or to the School at large e.g. exceptional performance in a key area of the role.
Note:
One, two or, exceptionally, three contribution increments may be awarded, where a case can be made for this based on the criteria agreed and subject to their availability. It should be noted that the normal expectation is for a single increment to be awarded.
Contribution increments will normally be effective from 1 August each year.
To be eligible for a contribution increment, a member of staff should be paid at the normal maximum or penultimate of his/her salary scale.
6.2 Accelerated Scale Increments
These may be awarded where a staff member:
· is developing and progressing within their role at a faster rate than would normally have been expected and is making a greater contribution to the Department or Section;
· has taken on significant additional work on an ongoing basis, but where the level of that responsibility falls within their current grade;
· is demonstrating sustained behaviours / approaches which allow their role to be achieved more effectively on an ongoing basis e.g. quality achieved, customer services provided, application of the skills gained following the achievement of a relevant qualification.
Note:
To be eligible for the award of an accelerated scale increment a member of staff must be below the maximum of his/her salary scale. An accelerated award does not involve payment beyond that point.
Accelerated scale increments are normally effective from 1 August each year.
More than one accelerated scale increment may be awarded in exceptional cases.
6.3 One-off or non consolidated payments
These may be awarded where a staff member:
· is to be rewarded for a temporary re-grading of a role (Acting Up Allowance), which would be time-limited. The Sub-committee is not responsible for making judgments about AUA’s, which should be agreed between the Line Manager & Budget Holder and HR in accordance with School policy. It is, however, important that the Sub-committee is aware of any such allowances being paid in the year in question for staff being put forward for a reward or re-grade to ensure that there is no possibility of a double reward;
· takes on additional but time-limited responsibility e.g. one-off project work (Responsibility Allowance). The Sub-committee is not responsible for making judgments about RA’s, which should be agreed between the Line Manager and Budget Holder and HR in accordance with School policy. It is, however, important that the Sub-committee is aware of any such allowances being paid in the year in question for staff being put forward for a reward or regrade to ensure that there is no possibility of a double reward;
· demonstrates a particular flexible approach or behaviour/s which contributes directly to the achievement Departmental or Section objectives (this should not be interpreted as working additional, unpaid, hours though this may be taken into account);
· contributes ideas which leads to greater efficiency, improved quality, cost savings etc, and which contribute to the achievement of Departmental or Section objectives;
· achieves particularly challenging goals or objectives e.g. overcomes significant obstacles to ensure deadlines are met;
· demonstrates behaviours / approaches which allow the role to be achieved more effectively e.g. quality, customer services provided, but where these have not yet been demonstrated on an ongoing basis.
One-off or non-consolidated payments (except RA’s and AUA’s, which would be paid monthly during the period of application) are normally paid with the July salary in the year the reward was made and would normally take the form of payments at a level agreed annually by the committee, which may be paid on a pro-rata basis for part-time staff as deemed appropriate..
It is important that the Reward and Re-grading Sub-committee/ FPC can justify variations in any one-off or non-consolidated payments reflecting in a transparent way the achievements of the recipient as this will also be monitored by Equality Committee and perceived disparity of treatment can lead to potential challenges to decision on the basis of equality legislation.
It is also important for the Reward and Re-grading Sub-committee/ FPC to consider whether one-off or non-consolidated payments have previously been made to members of staff for the same or very similar reason in the previous two years. In these cases an award of a contribution increment or an accelerated scale increment to reflect this trend may be more appropriate as a way of rewarding sustained excellent performance.
It may be appropriate to award a one-off or a non-consolidated payment to a team or group where there is evidence that all members of the team / group have worked together to achieve a significant objective.
Where a contribution increment or an accelerated scale increment is awarded there should be clear demonstration that the individual has increased their contribution to the Department or Section and to School objectives on an ongoing basis. With this in mind, it is unlikely that the Sub-committee would consider a further accelerated scale increment or contribution increment the following year, even if performance levels are maintained. It could still award a non-consolidated payment the following year if the level of performance is maintained, and a further increment (accelerated scale or contribution as appropriate) might be awarded the year after that, again if the level of performance is maintained. The Sub-committee will take account of all awards given to individual applicants over the preceding three years when making its’ decisions.
7. Application Process
Members of staff and / or Heads of Departments/ Managers wishing to apply / recommend the award of a contribution increment, an accelerated scale increment or one-off payment should complete the form Application/Recommendation for Consideration for Recognition and Reward accessible at the end of this policy. Completed forms should be passed to the Head of Department / Section for their comments and then submitted to the Human Resources Department.