PERSONNEL SERVICES CIRCULAR
INDUSTRIAL RELATIONS: 06/10
STANDBY DUTY FOR OFFICERS OTHER THAN SOCIAL WORKERS
5 October 2010
1. Employers Circular SEC/89 dated 27 April 1979 gave details of a model upon which local agreements for standby duty allowances for officers other than social workers should be based. This has been updated in subsequent Employers circulars, the last of which was Industrial Relations Circular 1/09, dated 7 January 2009.
2. The Employers Side has considered these payments in the light of current circumstances and has agreed that they be revised with effect from 1 April 2010.
3. The model agreement has therefore been revised in accordance with the attached Appendix.
Tom Young
Employers Side Secretary
To: Chief Executives
Directors of Personnel
Directors of Finance
APPENDIX
MODEL AGREEMENT
STANDBY FOR EMPLOYEES OTHER THAN SOCIAL WORKERS
1. Entitlement to standby, disturbance and call-out payment
(a) The nature of the appointment of certain employees makes it necessary for them to be prepared to carry out standby duties. Such employees will therefore be contractually required to undertake standby duty if so requested by the authority and to carry out emergency work as and when the need arises.
(b) Standby duties to a specific rostered arrangement whereby employees are under an obligation outside their normal working hours (including Saturdays, Sundays and Public Holidays) to remain on call and to be available to be consulted and if necessary to be called out for emergency duty.
(c) Employees whose posts are not graded above APV[1] and who are required to undertake standby duty, where this requirement is not already reflected in the grade of the post, will be entitled to payment in accordance with paragraphs 2 and 3 below.
2. Payment for Standby
(a) An employee performing standby duty will be paid:-
(i) an allowance of £80.76 with effect from 1 April 2010 for each complete week of standby duty actually performed, plus £15.16 for each general or public holiday in that week.
Current01/4/09 / 01/4/10 / 01/4/11 / 01/4/12
Each complete week of standby duty actually performed / 80.24 / 80.76 / 80.76 / 80.76
Plus for each general or public holiday in that week / 15.06 / 15.16 / 15.16 / 15.16
(ii) for broken periods of standby duty as follows:-
Monday to Friday, with effect from 1 April 2010 - £8.05 per night
Saturday, with effect from 1 April 2010 - £17.13 for 24 hours
Sunday/General or Public Holidays, with effect from 1 April 2010, £23.34 for 24 hours
Current01/4/09 / 01/4/10 / 01/4/11 / 01/4/12
Monday to Friday (per night) / 8.00 / 8.05 / 8.05 / 8.05
Saturday (for 24 hours) / 17.02 / 17.13 / 17.13 / 17.13
Sunday/General or Public Holidays (for 24 hours) / 23.19 / 23.34 / 23.34 / 23.34
(b) Each 24 hour period of standby duty is to commence at the beginning of the working day (or at the same hour on non-working days).
3. Disturbance and call out payments
Employees undertaking standby duty, who are contacted or called out in accordance with the agreed arrangements, will be paid on the following basis:-
(i) for each occasion on which the employee is contacted and which results in the exercise of skills for which the standby duty is required, either at the employee's home or elsewhere, a payment of £12.90 with effect from 1 April 2010; an employee will, however, only be entitled to one such payment within each period of two hours, commencing with the start of the standby session;
(iii) where an employee becomes entitled to a payment in sub-paragraph (i) and, where that or subsequent disturbance or call out is in excess of one hour, the employee will be entitled to further payment for the whole of the period of disturbance or call-out at the appropriate overtime rates.
Current01/4/09 / 01/4/10 / 01/4/11 / 01/4/12
Disturbance and call out payment / 12.82 / 12.90 / 12.90 / 12.90
4. Payments for employees not on standby
Employees not undertaking standby duty (whose posts are not graded above APV[2]) but who are contacted or called out will be paid on the following basis:-
(i) for each occasion on which the employee is contacted and which results in the exercise of skills for which the standby duty is required, either at the employee's home or elsewhere, a payment of £17.74 with effect from 1 April 2010; an employee will, however, only be entitled to one such payment within each period of two hours, commencing with the start of a notional standby session; and
(ii) where an employee becomes entitled to a payment in sub-paragraph (i) and, where that or subsequent disturbance or call out is in excess of one hour, the employee will be entitled to further payment for the whole of the period of disturbance or call out at the appropriate overtime rates.
Current01/4/09 / 01/4/10 / 01/4/11 / 01/4/12
Payments for employees not on standby / 17.63 / 17.74 / 17.74 / 17.74
2010 2010 IR - 06.10
[1] The model agreement on 'Standby for Officers Other than Social Workers' makes reference to it not applying to employees graded above APV. APV is an old national grade and while it still may be applied in some councils, it will not apply in the majority of councils where single status pay and grading structures have been implemented. In developing local arrangements councils should give consideration to the salary maxima for grade APV which is £28866 per annum from 1 April 2010.
[2] The model agreement on 'Standby for Officers Other than Social Workers' makes reference to it not applying to employees graded above APV. APV is an old national grade and while it still may be applied in some councils, it will not apply in the majority of councils where single status pay and grading structures have been implemented. In developing local arrangements councils should give consideration to the salary maxima for grade APV which is £28866 per annum from 1 April 2010.